Published: 30 June 2001
Drug use among prisoners: an exploratory study
The aims of this exploratory study were to explore the nature of drug use among prisoners; the impact of incarceration on drug use; perceptions of services within the prison setting; and to examine the experiences of non-drug-users within a prison setting. Qualitative methodology was used to collect the data. In-depth interviews were carried out with 29 prisoners in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin. The sample profile describes socio-demographic background; drug-using status; drug-using history; criminal history; and drug-crime relationship conditions of prisoners.