NCJ Number
202442
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2001 Pages: 15-17
Date Published
September 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the extent of drug abuse among Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmates and compares State and Federal United States prisons in terms of drug abuse problems.
Abstract
From 1990 to 1999, the rate of incarceration in the United States grew from 1 in every 218 residents to 1 in every 147 residents. Many offenders have substance abuse problems that correctional agencies struggle to address. The article compares State and Federal prison inmates regarding their history of drug abuse. More State inmates than Federal inmates abuse drugs, but the gap has been steadily decreasing since 1991, with growing numbers of Federal inmates reporting a history of drug abuse. Next, the article describes the characteristics of drug users in Federal prisons. Data were drawn from the BOP’s 3-year, multi-site evaluation of its residential drug treatment programs and showed that 18 percent of male inmates were using drugs daily before their arrest, as were 8 percent of female inmates. Drug testing procedures in the Federal prison system are reviewed and include the division of inmates into one of two groups: suspect groups who are tested at a greater rate and random sample groups who are tested at a lower rate. Finally, the article describes the drug treatment programs available to inmates in the Federal prison system. In addition to non-residential programs that are available to all inmates, residential programs are offered for those inmates meeting admission criteria. Tables, notes