NCJ Number
211086
Journal
Prison Journal: An International Forum on Incarceration and Alternative Sanctions Volume: 85 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2005 Pages: 329-342
Date Published
September 2005
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study identified predictors of injection and noninjection drug use during incarceration among a sample of Puerto Rican drug injectors in New York and Puerto Rico.
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that correctional facilities are high-risk environments for the transmission of blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis C. While many explanations have been posed for the association between imprisonment and blood-borne viruses, little research has been conducted in the United States concerning this phenomenon. The current study focused on Puerto Rican injection drug users and crack cocaine smokers incarcerated in New York (N=555) and Puerto Rico (N=241) to examine whether incarceration characteristics and gang association were predictors of injection and noninjection drug use among Puerto Rican inmates. Participants were part of a larger longitudinal study of Puerto Rican injection users and crack cocaine smokers in New York and Puerto Rico who answered interview questions in exchange for HIV counseling and testing. Results of bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that both gang affiliation and length of incarceration were significantly associated with injection and noninjection drug use while incarcerated. The findings suggest that harm reduction programs and drug treatment programs for incarcerated drug users should be enhanced. Future research should focus on the role of gangs in influencing HIV risk behaviors among inmates. Tables, references