NCJ Number
65861
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE POSSIBILITIES FOR DRUG ABUSE AND DRUG ADDICTION IN WEST GERMAN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
WHETHER THE PRISON ENVIRONMENT ENCOURAGES DRUG ABUSE HAS NO CLEAR AFFIRMATIVE OR NEGATIVE ANSWER. THOUGH ALCOHOL IS THE MOST PREVALENT PRISON DRUG, VERY FEW INMATES BECOME ALCOHOLICS, SINCE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR OBTAINING LIQUOR (SMUGGLED IN OR SELF-MADE) ARE LIMITED. THE COMBINATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED DEPRESSION AND PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESSES MAY LEAD TO ABUSE OF MEDICATION WHICH IS OFTEN SUPPORTED BY PRISON DOCTORS WHO BELIEVE PILLS TO BE THE PANACEA FOR PRISON PROBLEMS. SUCH AN ADDICTION MAY CONTINUE AFTER RELEASE, BUT, IN MOST CASES, IT IS ABANDONED OR REPLACED BY ANOTHER ADDICTION. SEVERAL CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN WHICH INMATES STARTED 'SNIFFING' IN PRISON AND CONTINUED THE HABIT AFTER THEIR RELEASE. ONLY IN JUVENILE FACILITIES WERE PREVIOUSLY CLEAN OFFENDERS PERSUADED TO DRUG ABUSE BY FELLOW-INMATES. HOWEVER, FOUR OUT OF FIVE INMATES OF JUVENILE PRISONS HAD ALREADY EXPERIMENTED WITH DRUGS PRIOR TO THE CONFINEMENT. NEW USERS CONTINUE THEIR ADDICTION AFTER RELEASE AND BECOME MEMBERS OF THE HEROIN SET. SINCE STATISTICS ON INITIATES TO DRUGS IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE, QUESTIONNNAIRES EXPLORING THIS SUBJECT ARE PRESENTLY IN PREPARATION. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH PRIOR TO 1978 INDICATES THAT OUT OF 50 DRUG ADDICTS 6 PERCENT DEVELOPED THEIR DEPENDENCE IN PRISON. THIS INSIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE DOES NOT WARRANT CONCLUSION THAT PRISONS ENCOURAGE DRUG ABUSE SINCE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS MIGHT HAVE BECOME EXPOSED TO DRUG TEMPTATIONS IN A NONPRISON ENVIRONMENT. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)