Mainline Returns to Dutch Prisons with Harm Reduction Work

In 2025, Mainline is picking up where we left off in 2009 — back inside Dutch prisons to reduce harms around drug use. We’ve resumed our fieldwork in a prison in the east of the Netherlands, bringing harm reduction education and support to both inmates and staff.

People use drugs in prison for many reasons: because they were already dependent, to cope with stress or trauma, out of boredom, or simply for the thrill. And despite strict regulations, drugs still find their way in. Our team meets with inmates for open, non-judgmental conversations about drug use. Being an independent organisation helps us build trust and offer a safe space to talk, reflect, and learn. We cover topics like safer use, overdose prevention, combining different substances, hepatitis C, and continuing methadone treatment after release.

With this project, we aim to