In Switzerland, Marijuana Use Helps Keep Prisons Calm and Safe

[madokie]

The Swiss prison guards agree that marijuana use among inmates is a good thing.

A recent study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy estimates that 50 to 80 percent of inmates in Swiss prisons use marijuana. Prison staff told researchers they found marijuana to be a relatively safe drug and that cracking down on consumption would have more negative effects than positive ones.

Surveys of detainees and guards revealed similar opinions on marijuana use, with both groups describing the effects of marijuana as analgesic, calming and a way to decrease the traumatic prison experience. Negative consequences included sleepiness, social isolation, and decreased perception of danger. But survey participants also said that more restrictive regulation could increase fear, trafficking, and a shift to harder drug use.

While prisoners estimated that up to 80 percent of prisoners use marijuana, guards reported a lower estimate at 50 percent.

Link: http://www.alternet.org/drugs/switzerland-marijuana-use-helps-keep-prisons-calm-and-safe

[MADem]

1. Do they sell it in the prison canteen? nt

[madokie]

3. Or maybe just give them the pot

and sell them the snacks

[MADem]

7. The question bugged me, so I found the abstract online--it's illegal to use, apparently

...so maybe the guards are making money on the side. Or maybe someone comes along and passes the stuff through the fence!

Also, the sample was quite small (fewer than sixty people total, guards and prisoners).

The study concludes that they need to find a way to keep the prisoners pacified, other than weed or medication.

It's an intereresting start, anyway--but hardly the final word! There might be more in the full study, but I wasn't about to pay thirty bucks for it!

http://www.ijdp.org/article/S0955-3959(13)00075-3/abstract

Background
Several studies suggest a high prevalence of cannabis use before and during imprisonment, but subjective perspectives of detainees and staff towards its use in prison are lacking. This issue was explored in the framework of an observational study addressing tobacco use in three Swiss prisons in 2009 and 2010 that involved multiple strands (quantitative and qualitative components). This article presents qualitative data on cannabis use collected in one of the settings.

Methods
We used in-depth semi-structured interviews with both detainees and staff to explore their attitudes towards cannabis in one post-trial male Swiss prison. We performed specific coding and thematic analysis for cannabis with the support of ATLAS.ti, compared detainees’ and staff's opinions, and considered the results with regard to drug policy in prison in general.

Results
58 participants (31 male offenders, mean age 35 years, and 27 prison staff, mean age 46 years, 33% female) were interviewed.

Detainees estimated the current use of cannabis use to be as high as 80%, and staff 50%. Participants showed similar opinions on effects of cannabis use that were described both at individual and institutional levels: analgesic, calming, self-help to go through the prison experience, relieve stress, facilitate sleep, prevent violence, and social pacifier. They also mentioned negative consequences of cannabis use (sleepiness, decreased perception of danger and social isolation), and dissatisfaction regarding the ongoing ambiguous situation where cannabis is forbidden but detection in the urine was not sanctioned. However, the introduction of a more restrictive regulation induced fear of violence, increased trafficking and a shift to other drug use.

Conclusion
Although illegal, cannabis use is clearly involved in daily life in prison. A clearer and comprehensive policy addressing cannabis is needed, including appropriate measures tailored to individual users. To sustain a calm and safe environment in prison, means other than substance or medication use are required.

[madokie]

8. So the rest of the story paints a somewhat different picture.

The best part about this place, (DU) is the rest of the story.
Thanks
Peace

[MADem]

9. A bit muddled, certainly...

At first blush, all these third party articles give one the impression that all the prisoners are toking and joking, and the guards are "in on it." The place is a legalized paradise, who wouldn't mind getting locked up, so long as you can pass the dutchy pon the lef-han' side?

In actual fact, it's illegal, it's not really enforced because it keeps the prisoners "chillaxed" as the kids say, and they even test for it, but they don't sanction when they find it.

I should think the way to decisively determine how much weed the prisoners are doing is to pee test more frequently. That would give them a better baseline number than asking people. People just might bump up or pull down the number for biased reasons of their own (e.g. I like it/hate it, ergo everyone else must feel the way I do--it's a common reaction).

[shenmue]

2. If it's so good...

why didn't it keep them from committing crimes in the first place?

People don't go to prison for playing patty-cake, you know.

[madokie]

4. Maybe some of them weren't pot smokers prior to their prison stay

Who knows. I don't toke any more but when I did I never contemplated committing a crime. I never was one to take chances though so a life of crime wasn't in my cards. Other that smoking the weed that is

[tridim]

5. Maybe they were taking hard drugs too?

[MADem]

11. No, just (illegal) pot use in prison, per the abstract. nt

[NuclearDem]

6. Because this isn't talking about pot use prearrest maybe?

[MADem]

10. It isn't--per the abstract:

This article presents qualitative data on cannabis use collected in one of the settings.

"One of the settings" is "one of the prisons."