Wijzigingen in het patroon van druggebruik bij vrouwen voor en tijdens detentie

Changes in the pattern of drug use among women before and during imprisonment Female prisoners comprise a vulnerable population. Reliable data on their drug use patterns can contribute to the development of an evidence-based drug policy in prisons. In this study, 211 women (88 percent response rate) in Flemish prisons were surveyed about their drug use before and during imprisonment. Six in ten (58 percent) participants reported using drugs in the year prior to their incarceration, half of whom (52 percent) continued to do so while in prison. Initiation of drug use in prison was rare. Among those who continued using drugs during imprisonment, three-quarters (75 percent) indicated doing so less frequently. Overall, there was a shift from the use of stimulants before imprisonment to the use of sedatives during imprisonment. This corresponds with the main reasons participants cited for using drugs in prison, namely to relax, forget problems, and counter boredom. Based on these findings, we conclude that incarceration influences drug use patterns in women, but generally does not lead to an increase or the initiation of drug use.