Pilot Training of Stakeholders on Alternatives to Incarceration for People Who Use Drugs in Contact with the Criminal Justice System in Nigeria: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported a high prevalence of substance misuse among people who use drugs (PWUD) in contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in Nigeria. Further, there is limited access to treatment resulting in high rates of relapse and recidivism. The development of Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) is one effort to address these gaps. This paper report findings from the pilot training on ATI in Nigeria. AIMS: The aims of this study were to (1) consider the feasibility of implementing ATI in Nigeria; (2) determine whether the programme was delivered as designed; (3) determine whether training objectives were met; (4) highlight connections between the Community of Practice (CoP) model and essential components of the implementation process; and (5) assess trainer proficiency.

METHODS: Instruments included a preand post-training knowledge assessment and a post-training survey adapted from the ATI and Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC) manuals that included several open-ended questions and a trainer proficiency survey.

PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N = 36; 53% male) were stakeholders drawn from CJS and treatment, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who participated in a 4-day training held in Lagos State.

RESULTS: 35 (97%) of the participants completed both the preand post-test survey. The difference in the mean scores demonstrated statistically and practically significant gains in foundational knowledge. All participants agreed on the feasibility of implementing ATI in Nigeria and that the course was relevant to their practice. Further, the curriculum was implemented as designed and objectives were met. All facilitators were ranked as “proficient”.

CONCLUSION: Using Alternatives to Incarceration appears to be a promising intervention in Nigeria.