Correlates of Drug Use among Offenders in Some Prisons in Ghana

Parimah, Feikoab; Owusu, Jonathan Osei; Solomon, Akumun T.; Appiah-Honny, Sylvester Anthony

doi:10.1177/0306624x20964143

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Similar reasons, such as boredom, coping mechanisms, depression, harsh prison conditions and lack of meaningful activities, addiction, peer pressure and overcrowding have been found in other studies (Boakye et al, 2022;Rowell-Cunsolo et al, 2016;Skowroński & Talik, 2018). Parimah et al (2020) found that prisoners convicted of possessing cannabis for personal use for the first time were likely to have used substances within the past 30 days; about a third had used cannabis and nearly one fifth had used other drugs. The authors further reported an association between recidivism and other substance use.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 74%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Substance use disorders among adults during imprisonment in a medium security prison: Prevalence and risk indicators

Donnir

Asare-Doku

Boakye

2023

Criminal Behav Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Research shows that the prevalence of substance use disorders among the prison population is high globally. Although prisons are highly controlled environments, access to drugs and other substances in prison remains a major problem. Yet, previous research is focussed mainly on the Western context, with the studies generally reporting on lifetime prevalence without reference to whether the disorders are manifest even within the controlled environment. Aims To estimate the prevalence of substance use disorders evident while in prison in Ghana and associated risk indicators. For these purposes, substance use disorder was defined by any indication of dependency, or escalating use or socially problematic use during the 12 months of imprisonment prior to the interview. Methods The study involved 500 adults (443 men and 57 women) in a medium‐security prison in Ghana who had served at least 1 year of a prison sentence. Participants' alcohol use disorder was assessed separately from other substance use disorders which included cannabis, cocaine and other stimulants using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI); it is a structured interview and diagnostic tool for major psychiatric and substance use disorders in DSM‐5 and ICD‐10. Results Two percent of the 500 participants had used alcohol to the level of alcohol use disorder, and 6% had other substance use disorders in 12 months prior to interview and while in prison. Cannabis (4%) and stimulants (3%) were the most frequently reported substance use disorders. Logistic regression model estimates indicate that younger age, prior offending and alcohol use dependence were significantly associated with such disorders in prison. Conclusion In spite of efforts to prevent substance use in prison, nearly one in 10 of these prisoners were using alcohol or illicit drugs to a level indicative of substance use disorders. Our findings suggest that prioritising brief assessment may help identify those in most need of clinical help to limit their alcohol and illicit substance use problems.

show abstract

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Parimah et al. (2020) found that prisoners convicted of possessing cannabis for personal use for the first time were likely to have used substances within the past 30 days; about a third had used cannabis and nearly one fifth had used other drugs. The authors further reported an association between recidivism and other substance use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%