Drug and Alcohol Dependencies in Prisons

Abstract

The scope of drug and alcohol pro blems in prisons is deter mined. Criminal justice statistics on arrests, convictions, and dispositions are reviewed, and surveys of the prevalence of substance abuse in state and federal prisons are reported. The review documents statistics supporting the findings that major investments of law enforcement energy are being spent in arresting substance abusers, that significant numbers of these are being convicted (roughly 20 per cent to 50 per cent of prison inmates have major drug or alcohol problems), and that the rates of such problems among parolees have been rising. Existing treatment capacities for substance-abusing inmates in state and federal correctional institutions are reviewed. Pris on programs either do not exist or are inadequate, with prob ably fewer than ten states having made any long-term com mitment. The federal NARA program has not been effective and the Bureau of Prisons' response to incarcerated drug and alcohol abusers is less adequate than the efforts of many states. For all jurisdictions, the level o f treatment response is in no way commensurate with the size of the problem. If treatment of substance abusers continues to be seen as a useful response to chemical dependencies among prisoners, more attention must be paid to providing sufficient resources to prison programs. Only then can the issues o f ineffectiveness and inefficiency in the present correctional system response be addressed.