Abstract
IntroductionEpidemiologic studies have shown that people released from correctional facilities are at substantially increased risk of overdose-related death compared with the general population. However, the reported effect estimates are substantially heterogeneous, and the previous studies have important limitations in relative risk assessment for overdose-related death.
 Objectives and ApproachBritish Columbia, Canada, has experienced an unprecedented epidemic of drug overdose, this study aimed to investigate how the overdose epidemic has affected formerly incarcerated persons. A 20% random sample of residents aged 18 years or older in British Columbia was used to conduct this cohort study. During the 5-year exposure period (January 2010 to December 2014), persons with an incarceration history were identified using provincial incarceration records. During the 3-year follow-up period (January 2015 to December 2017), overdose-related deaths were identified using linked administrative health data. Risk of overdose-related death was compared between persons who did and did not have an incarceration history using a Cox regression model.
 ResultsOf 765,690 persons in the cohort, 5,743 had an incarceration history during the exposure period, and 634 died from drug overdose during the follow-up period. The mortality rate was 832 and 22 per 100,000 person-years for persons who did and did not have an incarceration history, respectively. Compared with persons without an incarceration history, and adjusting for individual and neighbourhood characteristics, persons who had an incarceration history were 3.67 times (95% confidence interval 2.93 - 4.59) more likely to die from drug overdose. This association was stronger for females, persons who did not have substance use disorder, and persons who were not dispensed opioids for pain or benzodiazepines.
 Conclusion/ImplicationsPrevious incarceration is strongly associated with risk of overdose-related death. Specific interventions are needed to better prevent drug overdose for people released from incarceration.
Highlights
Epidemiologic studies have shown that people released from correctional facilities are at substantially increased risk of overdose-related death compared with the general population [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
Persons who had an incarceration history were 41.42 times more likely to die from drug overdose compared with persons without an incarceration history (Table 2)
On the basis of a large random sample of the general population in British Columbia, we found that people who had an incarceration history during the 5-year exposure period were four times more likely to die from drug overdose during the 2-year follow-up period compared with people without an incarceration history during the exposure period
Summary
Epidemiologic studies have shown that people released from correctional facilities are at substantially increased risk of overdose-related death compared with the general population [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. Because this study design is not able to include a parallel control group that do not have an incarceration history, the general population is used as the reference group, and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) are calculated to assess relative risk of overdose-related death for formerly incarcerated people. This study design is able to track absolute risk of overdose-related death over time, but it is not able to accurately assess relative risk of overdose-related death, because the calculation of SMRs is based on comparisons of aggregated mortality rates between formerly incarcerated people and the general population These studies are ecological in nature, and are prone to ecological bias [13].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
