Non-Fatal Overdose Incidents in Federal Custody, 2021/2022

What we did

An incident search was conducted of CSC’s administrative database to identify all reported non-fatal overdose incidents in FY 2021/2022 (April 1^st, 2021, to March 31^st, 2022). Overdose incidents were included when the consumption of illicit substances led to medical intervention (e.g., administration of Naloxone) and/or resulted in a designation of Serious Bodily Injury. Incident reports were then coded for information pertaining to the incident itself, preceding events, and offenders’ profile/demographic data.

What we found

In 2021/2022, there were 123 non-fatal overdoses among 115 federally incarcerated offenders. This marks a 6.1% decrease from FY 2020/2021, and the second consecutive reporting period in which non-fatal overdoses have decreased (see Table 1). Compared to FY 2020/2021, the regional distribution of the incidents changed the most in the Atlantic, Ontario, and Prairie Regions, and remained relatively stable in the Quebec and Pacific Regions. Interestingly, among the non-fatal overdoses that occurred in the Pacific region in 2021/2022, 71.4% (n = 20/28) occurred at Kent Institution.

A small proportion (11.4%) of overdose incidents included no information regarding suspected or confirmed substances^{Footnote 1} . However, 64.2% involved non-opioid, non-stimulant substances; 25.2% involved opioids; and 14.6% involved stimulants^{Footnote 2} . This is another noticeable difference from previous reporting periods, as opioid-involved overdoses were most common in FY 2020/2021. Note that 47.2% of the overdoses involved some form of prescription medication. Among the opioid-related overdoses specifically, fentanyl was the most frequently identified substance (45.2%, n = 14/31), followed by suboxone (38.7%, n = 12/31), and/or methadone (12.9%, n = 4/31).

Many different stressors/events occurred before the overdose incidents, including but not limited to (1) general mental health issues, including other recent drug overdoses/suicide attempts (25.2%), (2) interpersonal issues with family, romantic partners, and/or other offenders (25.2%), and (3) issues relating to release to the community (e.g., recent revocation or denial of release, anxiety about upcoming release, etc.; 14.6%)^{Footnote 3} .

The profile of offenders involved in overdose incidents in 2021/2022 was similar to previous years. Specifically, offenders tended to be White (49.6%) or Indigenous (42.3%) men (87.0%) in their mid-to-late thirties (M = 37 years old). Just over half (55.3%) were medium-security offenders, and the largest proportion were serving a sentence for a homicide-related offence (39.0%) or robbery (15.4%). Just over two-thirds (65.9%) of offenders who had a non-fatal overdose incident had a history of self-harm and/or suicide attempts.

What it means

The pattern of non-fatal overdoses that occur in federal institutions continues to evolve. For example, non-opioid, non-stimulant-related overdoses were the most prevalent type of overdose in FY 2021/2022, whereas opioid-related overdoses were most prevalent in FY 2020/2021. Nevertheless, fentanyl remains the most common opioid, followed by suboxone/methadone. Ongoing reporting of non-fatal overdose incidents remains crucial for minimizing substance-use-related harms, and for improving offender health and overall institutional safety.

For more information

Please e-mail the Research Branch.
You can also visit the Research Publications section for a full list of reports and one-page summaries.

Prepared by: Daniella Filoso, Dirk Boon, and Anna Chen