Drugs
within the prisons have been a growing concern for many years now. The amount that the offenders are able to get
within the walls of these security facilities is extraordinary. As many may wonder, how do they get them
inside the prison? The tactics that they
use to get these drugs are very interesting.
There are many different methods for them to obtain their fix.
Everyone
knows that somehow and someway offenders are able to obtain drugs while in
prison. The problem is actually pretty
severe. The Washington Times had an
article that said that there were 1,000 drug seizures annually in California
prisons. This is shocking because that
is just what they are able to find, there is a lot more going on than just that. It also stated that between 2006 and 2008
forty four prisoners died of an overdose. A lot of prisoners come into the system clean, but once inside of prison develop a habit. Prison life is not a joyous one, nor is it supposed to be, and that is why many people turn to drugs to cope with their surroundings.
It is no surprise that the drug problem has become worse over the years
since the War on Drugs has started and that is the main increase of our prison
systems. Of course once the offender
gets in they are not going to stop using when there are ways to get the illegal substances.
Prisons
are obviously trying their hardest to stop these drugs from entering but it is
easier said than done. They have
implemented x-ray machines so that they are able to see inside of packages,
they do a very thorough search of visitors, they have dogs come in to searches,
implemented drug treatment programs, but the problem still exists. One of
the main ways to get access is by, unfortunately, crooked prison guards. The other common way is to have visitors
bring them in with them or have them launch the drugs over prison walls.
The
gangs within the prison have most of the control over the drug market and
therefore prices are extremely high, around 10 times higher than on the
street. A report showed that an inmate can make up to $7,000 a week dealing heroin. This is another issue for
prisons because it causes major tension between gangs, which usually results in
violence. Gang related drug activity is
actually one of the main causes of prison violence.
This
problem is daunting to many prison administrations but they are all adamant to
keep trying to fix it. With prison rates increasing dramatically, the problem is more likely to become harder to end. The irony of the
situation is that we imprison people for using/dealing drugs, but even after putting them behind prison walls their behavior continues with ease.
Works Cited
The correlation between prison violence and drugs within the facility can be an interesting one. On one hand (much like you said), violence can ensue from prison gangs as a result of drugs, but drugs can also be a way for correctional officers to maintain order and keep the prison gangs at bay. They can do this by turning a blind eye to the dealing and use of drugs. This allows the gang leaders to keep their fellow gang members controlled. So as you can see, the issue of drugs in prisons can be a real double edged sword.
ReplyDeleteYes drugs in prison is going to always be a sensitive and important issue that goverment has to face. One thing to note about the crooked Correctional officers is the fact is that there are always going to be people who abuse their authority and turn a legit job into something crooked. That will always exist.
ReplyDeleteI found your point on how many go into the prison system "clean" very interesting. I always imagined many of those in the system were already substance abusers. This information coupled with the fact that between 2006-2008 44 prisoners died of an overdose in this California prison were almost unbelievable. I was aware of drug use in prison but never to this severe extent! Very informative post.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great blog about drugs in prison, I never knew a inmate could make more money by selling drugs in prison than selling it in the streets. In California they seized around 1,000 drugs thats crazy I never knew drugs had such a severe impact in prisons. It just shows you that what we are doing is not working. We lock up people for drug related crimes, and they are not getting the help that they need, instead they are doing the same thing they were doing outside of prison.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how people locked up basically are able to get anything we can get on the outside. People still make money off of drugs while they are in prison and that is just so sad to me. What is even more sad is when you said a lot of people come into prison clean, but get hooked to drugs while they are there. To me that is just unacceptable and is the complete opposite of what they are there for. Something needs to be done about this, but probably won't because this has been going on forever. The bogus cops in these prisons allow for a lot of the drug use to continue without consequences. Totally agree with you when you say that since the prison population is increasing this problem will only continue to get worse.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting topic. The truth is, drugs are always going to be a problem within the criminal justice system. My question is what can we do now to stop or deter this? I also feel the situations behind the prison walls need to be better monitered. You made a great point,1000 drug seizures is a great find, but there is a ton more "hidden" throughout the system. The Department of Corrections must be held to a higher standard when it comes to deterring or stopping the use of drugs within the system. We have to remember, these people are put into prison because they cannot behave legally in society, we must not allow this issue to become the "double edged sword" as Jacob said. D.O.C needs to either create a system that has more officer accountability or brush up on the idea of morality and ethical decision making.
ReplyDeleteWay to go Anna!!!
This post is filled with surprising information. I knew that drugs were a problem in jails and prisons because I watch the jail shows on TV. I did not know that many prisoners come into prison clean and then when they are inside they pick up on the drug habit! It's sad that between 2006-2008 44 prisoners died of an overdose in this California prison. There are officers and cameras everywhere they have to be able to catch them doing the drugs! Another really interesting fact that I read is the some inmate drug dealers can make up to $7,000 a week dealing heroin! That is more than some people on the streets or people with a real job with a college degree!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post! I actually just watched a TV episode: “Prison Gangs” today that talked about drugs inside the prisons. In the TV show they interviewed an inmate that stated that he gets his drugs from his visitors and that he puts it in his private parts. I find the very last statement of this blog very true. How come we imprison people for using/dealing drugs, but even after putting them behind prison walls their behavior continues with ease? Is this something that that prisons need to be more cautious about or is inmates finding new ways everyday to smuggle drugs into the prisons? Overall, drug use in the prisons are a huge issue. I never knew that prisoners who come in clean usually start abusing drugs once they are behind bars. I know that prison can be overwhelming for most inmates but I feel that maybe they should have thought about the consequences of their acts before they committed them!
ReplyDelete