The influence of social and environmental factors on drug use in female prisoners

Limited quantitative evidence exists for the potential impact of social and environmental factors on drug use during imprisonment. Self-report data were collected from 211 adult women (88% response rate) in Belgian prisons, representing 42% of all female prisoners nationwide. During their current incarceration, one in three (31%) participants had ever used drugs and a quarter (26%) did so in the past month. Cannabis and non-prescribed tranquillizers (such as benzodiazepines) were most commonly used. The main reasons cited by participants for using drugs in prison were to relieve stress, forget problems, and counteract boredom. In a multivariate analysis, perceived social support and availability of meaningful activities were negatively associated with recent drug use while incarcerated. Other factors related to the prison environment had no significant influence on drug use, providing a more nuanced perspective on extant qualitative literature.