Reintegration of Drug Users After Release from Prison in Germany

"With regard to the preparation of the release of detainees from prison, the legal framework establishes that detainees are to receive assistance upon prison release (§ 74 Prison Law in connection with § 15 Prison Law) with a view to promote societal integration after prison. In order to reach this goal prison services are to cooperate at inter-departmental level (§ 154 Prison Law). Moreover, providers of social security services are to form networks and cooperate with the competent agencies to complement each other in the pursuit of the same goal (§ 68 paragraph 3 Social Code XII and § 16 paragraph 2 Social Code II). Corresponding strategies and measures are developed and implemented under the term transition management. On the one hand, it is tried to facilitate a smooth transition from prison to freedom with integration into training, work and employment, on the other, to tackle problems linked with detention and criminal careers. The main task of transition management is to improve the situation of the clients by offering them counselling and care but also possibilities of professional qualification and training as well as job placement.
"Although from an historic viewpoint there have been corresponding efforts undertaken already 150 years ago with the introduction of the assistance for offenders and the introduction of the probation service in the 1950s, the discussion and the implementation of a transition management still require further development."