Treatment Compliance among Incarcerated and Fined Amphetamine-Type-Stimulant (ATS) Users in a Community Supervision Programme in Malaysia: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background People caught using amphetamine-type-stimulants (ATS) in Malaysia can either be incarcerated and subsequently be placed in a community supervision programme or if they can afford the fine, be directly sent for community supervision. We sought to determine if treatment compliance in the community supervision varied between the two groups. Methods Eighty-five ATS users (59 previously incarcerated persons and 26 having only been fined) were recruited from a community supervision programme for this longitudinal study. The sample was largely male and Malay. Respondents were screened for drug use and assessed for six months. Results We found that 54% of the incarcerated participants had dropped out of the supervision programme as compared to 23% of the fined participants. Also, by the end of the study period, 63% of the incarcerated participants had tested positive for drug use, relative to 30% of the fined participants. Furthermore, incarcerated participants had higher odds of having previously dropped out of a community supervision programme (OR: 4.34; 1.44–13.06; p<.006), as compared to their fined counterparts. Conclusions ATS users with a history of incarceration had poorer treatment compliance, relative to their compeers who were not incarcerated and placed directly in a community supervision programme.