[The characteristics of prevention of drug and alcohol dependencies in persons serving criminal penalty].

The article presents results of study of problems, ways of development and improvement of organization and implementation of preventive medical social work with drug and alcohol addiction of persons serving criminal sentence in penitentiary system. In places of imprisonment use of psychoactive substances without specialist's prescription is strictly prohibited. So, addicted convicts can achieve situational remission while serving sentence. The treatment, rehabilitation and preventive work is implemented with emphasis on developing motivation for conscious refusal of using drugs and alcohol abuse to achieve stable remission to non-use. The purpose of the study was to reveal existing characteristics of organization and implementation of preventive work with drug and alcohol addiction in persons serving criminal sentence, as well as innovative aspects of this work in penitentiary system. The conclusions are made about characteristics of state of comprehensive preventive treatment and rehabilitation work with convicts of considered category with emphasis on personal changes, including social, educational and psychological aspects. The complex and person-oriented approach to preventive work with convicts with alcohol and drug addiction required implementation of such organizational measures as organization of life of convicts involved into prevention program, high-quality and regular psycho-therapeutic effect on convicts, stabilization of psycho-emotional condition of convicts undergoing prevention program both at individual and micro-group level, training and retraining of employees of medical, educational, social and psychological services, etc.