ARROW: The feasibility of a women only, gender- and trauma-informed residential rehabilitation pathway for drug dependent women leaving prison; a feasibility study

Background:

Female prisoners are more likely than male prisoners to use Class A drugs. They often commit crimes to support their drug use and, when they are sent to prison, they frequently ask for help with that drug use. Many women leave prison without a support plan to stay off drugs and most do not even have a safe place to live. Women can find drug treatment services that accept both men and women difficult because of their experiences of trauma and violence. So it is possible that women-only residential rehabilitation (WORR) might work better in supporting their recovery. WORR services can provide specialist women-centred support, safe accommodation, and help with other issues such as trauma, mental health and finding a job.

We will examine whether moving women directly from prison to WORR services can support their long term recovery from drug use, helping both them and their children live better lives. As well as long term recovery from drug dependency, we will explore all the other ways in which the women’s lives might have improved, such as employment, housing, relationships with children and better mental and physical health. The study comprises six work packages using mixed methods. These include a survey of commissioners and participatory research with services users and providers in both the drug treatment and criminal justice sectors. Analysis of National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data will track the drug treatment journeys of a cohort of women on release from prison and health economic analysis will explore the scope of costs, benefits and value for money of WORR.

The study will also test whether the best way to evaluate this rehabilitative pathway from prison to WORR is through conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT). However, because we know that RCTs in criminal justice settings are challenging to get right, we are conducting a feasibility study, which will be run by the York Trials Unit. This will help us work out whether an RCT is the best way to test whether going from prison to WORR is the most effective way to support women leaving prison and trying to recover from drug dependency or whether other methods might be more effective.

Aim:

The feasibility study aims to assess the feasibility of evaluating a resettlement pathway for drug dependent criminalised women (DDCW) leaving prison, comprising of immediate transfer to a women-only, gender-and trauma- informed residential rehabilitation facility, in achieving long term recovery from dependent drug use compared to treatment as usual.

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Funding
Members

Funding

Funders(s):	NIHR Public Health Research Programme
Start Date:	June 2025
End Date:	May 2027

Members

YTU Team

External Members

Professor Sharon Grace (Chief Investigator), School for Business and Society, University of York
Professor Charlie Lloyd, School for Business and Society, University of York
Dr Geoff Page, School for Business and Society, University of York
Dr Andrew Jones, University of Manchester
Professor Tim Millar, University of Manchester
Associate Professor Sarah Page, Staffordshire University