'From crime to health: the Portuguese Drug Commissions' is, to my knowledge, the first study ever published that scrutinises the working and functions of these civil institutions, which are unique in the world. It is the result of in-depth observation, quantitative and qualitative research that I carried out in Portugal thanks to a WCMT Research Fellowship award.
The study shows the humanistic and humane way the Commissions carry out their work, day in, day out. The personal touch, the empathy and empowering support they give is, however, hard to describe in words and I am glad and grateful that I was allowed access to the staff and their clients and could appreciate the dynamics and interactions at close range.
Interviews with experts and policy makers, backed by trend data I collected and analysed, confirmed that, having redirected resources from criminal justice, the Portuguese society has not experienced detrimental effects. Rather, positive outcomes are on the record, including:
* health improvements (e.g. steep declines in HIV incidence among injecting drug users)
* the freeing up of police and court time
* fewer users in prison.
Read the full report by clicking here.