Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Female Inmates

• NCJ Number: 214433
• Author(s): Janeena Jamison Wing
• Date Published: May 2005
• Length: 9 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
• Corporate Author: Idaho State Police
• Sale Source: Idaho State Police
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Idaho State Police Statistical Analysis Center Special Report; downloaded June 1, 2006.

Annotation

This report presents statistical data on drug and alcohol use among female inmates at Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center in Idaho.

Abstract

Results indicated that 96.48 percent of female inmates reported using alcohol or illegal drugs during their lifetime. Almost half (46.29 percent) used drugs daily while another 12.56 percent used alcohol daily. The majority (83.48 percent) reported using illegal drugs on more than five occasions during their lives. Nearly half reported using prescription psychoactive drugs during their lifetime while another 20.89 percent reported using over-the-counter psychoactive drugs. Use of alcohol and other drugs is also reported by inmate demographics and information is presented about female inmates’ experiences of domestic violence. In terms of substance use and inmate demographics, evidence suggests no difference between the level of drug or alcohol abuse and educational attainment or family income. However, female inmates between the ages of 36 and 45 years reported the highest abuse of alcohol while inmates aged 18 to 25 years reported the highest abuse of illegal drugs. Domestic violence findings revealed that the majority of female inmates in Idaho had experienced physical (69.58 percent) or emotional (78.73 percent) abuse by an intimate partner. Approximately 1 in 10 female inmates had been shot or stabbed by their inmate partners. Only 12.14 percent of female inmates reported they had never experienced any type of abuse. The findings highlight the interaction between culture, poverty, and domestic violence in the lives of female inmates and suggest that intervention approaches that address a myriad of problems are most likely to be effective with drug and alcohol involved female inmates. Data for this study were drawn from questionnaires completed by approximately 1,345 female inmates at Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center in Idaho who participated in an evaluation of a domestic violence course taught at the women’s prison. Charts, tables