Throughcare

Welcome to the EU Throughcare site

This site contains information about the EU Throughcare project and the work that we do.

The term “Throughcare” refers to arrangements for managing the continuity of care before, during and immediately after custody. “Aftercare” is the package of support that should be in place after a drug-misusing offender reaches the end of a prison-based treatment programme, completes a community sentence or leaves treatment. It is not a discrete process of treatment alone but involves a holistic approach, including access to additional support for issues such as mental health, housing, managing finance, family problems, learning new skills and employment.

This site aims to provide information about the project and raise awareness of what Throughcare involves.

The Project

“Throughcare for prisoners with problematic drug use” is a research project funded by the Directorate General Justice, Freedom and Security of the European Commission. The project comprises research in six European Member States (England, Germany, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and Estonia). The project is co-ordinated by Professor Morag MacDonald at Birmingham City University in close collaboration with colleagues at the Scientific Institute of the German Medical Association (WIAD), which is also responsible for the evaluation of the project. The project has two invited experts: Lesley McDowall, Scottish Prison Service, Gail Walters, Midland Heart Housing and Sean Duggan, Director of Prisons and Criminal Justice Programme at the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health in London.

Funding

The Throughcare project is part funded by European Commission Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security.