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Detection of drugs in Australian prisons: supply reduction strategies

Kate Dolan (Professor, based at National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia)
Ana Rodas (Research Officer, based at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Australia)

International Journal of Prisoner Health

ISSN: 1744-9200

Article publication date: 10 June 2014

909

Abstract

Purpose

Prisoners have a high level of drug use prior to imprisonment. Many inmates report having injected drugs and using cannabis. Prison authorities employed a range of strategies to detect drugs and drug use in prison. However, it was unclear which supply reduction strategies operated, and the prevalence and types of drugs detected in Australian prisons. The purpose of this paper is to examine supply reduction strategies in Australian prisons. Information on searches for drugs, and from inmate urinalysis was collected. The study focussed on adults in fulltime custody in Australia in 2009.

Design/methodology/approach

A representative of all corrective services departments and justice health services was asked to complete a questionnaire on supply reduction strategies, including searches for drugs and drug testing of inmates.

Findings

The two main supply reduction strategies identified in all Australian prisons were the use of drug detection dogs and urinalysis programs. Despite an extensive use of drug searches and urinalysis, the detection of drugs was modest for both strategies. The most commonly used drug was cannabis with the detection of drugs such as amphetamines and heroin being very low.

Research limitations/implications

Prison inmates have a history of high levels of drug use prior to imprisonment. However, the supply reduction measures of drug detection dogs and urinalysis indicate that drug use was low in Australian prisons.

Practical implications

The paper recommends that urinalysis comprises targeting testing regimes and that random testing ceases in order to be a more cost effective use of resources for drug detection.

Originality/value

The study is the first report on the range of supply reduction measures in Australian prisons and, possibly in the world. Both measures were employed extensively across the country and finds of drugs and drug use were relatively low. Two possible conclusions can be drawn; that either drug use was very low in prison or that it was well concealed from the authorities. A comparison of random testing with targeted testing of inmates, where the former yields fewer positive results shows drug use was likely to be low rather than well concealed.

Keywords

Citation

Dolan, K. and Rodas, A. (2014), "Detection of drugs in Australian prisons: supply reduction strategies", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 111-117. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-06-2013-0025

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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