Male injecting drug users and the impact of imprisonment

To reflect concerns associated with the over representation of drug users in prison, policy
regarding the control and treatment of drug users in prison in England and Wales has
developed significantly over recent years, particularly since increased prison drug risk taking,
such as injecting has been identified. Yet, there is little up to date, in-depth research
considering what happens to injecting behaviour in prison. This study therefore used
qualitative research to explore the impact of imprisonment on men’s injecting drug use and
provide a current perspective on how and why the prison environment influenced their drug
using behaviour, considering how this differed to their community behaviours. Thirty men
with a history of injecting drug use and imprisonment were sampled from community
services in an English city. They were interviewed in-depth about their drug use before,
during and after release from prison. A grounded theory approach underpinned the study
and informed the analysis. Prison was identified as a time when participants found relief from
hectic and intense drug using community lifestyles as they exercised more choice and
control over their drug use. Yet time in prison was not necessarily drug free as participants
took illicit drugs to prison with them to use. This advanced preparation and the reasons for it
are new findings, enabled through the exploratory research approach. Men’s illicit drug using
behaviours in prison differed to their pre prison practices as different drugs were used, in
different ways to injecting and at reduced levels to before imprisonment. The misuse of
buprenorphine medication by snorting in prison was also identified as a new trend, taking
over from heroin. To categorise the different types of men’s prison drug using behaviours
and to help explain the nature these when compared to before prison, the study developed
and presents models of illicit drug use and routes of drug administration.