In 2019, there were 3,522 prisoners in Latvia of which 1,192 were incarcerated for drug law offences [1], with penalties ranging up to 3 years imprisonment [2]. HIV prevalence among prisoners was estimated in 2015 at 7% [3] and antiretroviral therapy (ART) is available in prison, as is opioid substitution therapy (OST), but not needle/syringe programmes [4].
It cost the Government of Latvia €17,484 per year, or €47.90 per day, to keep a person in prison in 2019 [5].
There were estimated to be 7,100 people who inject drugs in Latvia in 2019 with a HIV prevalence of 7.7% [6]. NSP cost €59 per client, per year, and OST cost €1,061 per client, per year in 2018 [7]. Unemployment benefit is paid at the rate of €2,250 for a period of 8 months [8].
Therefore, the cost to the Government of Latvia to support one person who injects opioids in community settings could be €3,370 per year, whereas to imprison that person for drug use and/or possession costs the state €17,484 per year. Consequently, the Government of Latvia could save itself €14,114 per drug user, per year, by decriminalising drug use and/or possession. The savings to the Government of such decriminalisation could be as high as €16.8 million per year.
[1] Aebi MF, Tiago MM. SPACE I – 2019 – Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics: Prison populations. Strasbourg; Council of Europe, 2020. https://wp.unil.ch/space/files/2021/02/200405_FinalReport_SPACE_I_2019.pdf (accessed 4 August 2021).
[2] European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Latvia Country Drug Report 2019. Luxembourg; Publications Office of the European Union, 2019. https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/11338/latvia-cdr-2019.pdf (accessed 8 August 2021).
[3] Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS). The Key Populations Atlas. Geneva; UNAIDS. https://kpatlas.unaids.org/dashboard (accessed 3 August 2021).
[4] Harm Reduction International (HRI). Global State of Harm Reduction 2020, Regional Overview 2.2 Eurasia. London; HRI, 2021. https://www.hri.global/files/2020/10/26/Global_State_HRI_2020_2_2_Eurasia_FA_WEB.pdf (accessed 3 August 2021).
[5] Aebi M F, Tiago MM. SPACE I – 2020 – Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics: Prison populations. Strasbourg; Council of Europe, 2021. https://wp.unil.ch/space/files/2021/04/210330_FinalReport_SPACE_I_2020.pdf (accessed 3 August 2021).
[6] EMCDDA, Ibid.
[7] Information submitted by national partners.
[8] Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Latvia – Unemployment insurance benefit. Brussels; European Commission, undated. https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1117&langId=en&intPageId=4643 (accessed 8 August 2021).