NCJ Number
212007
Date Published
2005
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This article describes the drug trade in the Czech Republic as well as the drug situation in prisons, including the methods and results of monitoring drug dependency among prisoners.
Abstract
Drug-related offenses have been the center of criminal justice attention in the Czech Republic. Problems related to drug abuse are often exacerbated in prison environments, mainly because large numbers of drug dependent individuals are gathered in one environment. Prison officials have long recognized the need to implement drug treatment programs for offenders in an effort to reduce the problem and prevent new problems. The current analysis of the drug problem in Czech Republic prisons begins with an overview of the drug scene in the Czech Republic followed by a synopsis of drug-related criminal activity in the country, which notes the spread of distribution and use of narcotic and psychotropic substances. A review of judicial records indicated three categories of drug related crimes in the Czech Republic: international illegal drug trafficking; production and distribution of drugs within the Czech Republic by Czech citizens; and crimes committed by drug users in order to obtain drugs. Findings from inmate questionnaires on drug use are presented next and indicate an alarming rate of drug dependence among Czech inmates. The analysis, however, also indicates that drug dependence treatment programs within Czech prisons are having a satisfactory effect on drug dependence among inmates.