The impact of retention in opioid agonist treatment following release from prison among men with recent histories of injecting drug use

People who inject drugs are imprisoned at high rates globally, and commonly experience rapid health declines and an increased risk of death after release from prison. This thesis examined the impact of retention in opioid agonist treatment (OAT), an effective treatment for opioid use disorder, on outcomes for men with injection drug use histories drugs transitioning from prison to the community. It found greater rates of drug-related harms than previously documented in Australia, but also found that OAT is an effective intervention to reduce these harms. Thesis findings inform greater investment and optimisation of prison and post-release community OAT programs.