Alcohol and drug use by alcohol and drug abusers when incarcerated: clinical and research implications

Alcohol (n = 24) and drug (n = 60) abusers reported frequent alcohol and/or drug use while incarcerated in hospitals, jails, and residential treatment programs. Although substance use by addicts while incarcerated may be a "well-known" clinical phenomenon, there are virtually no published data regarding the range and frequencies of such behaviors. The clinical and research implications of frequent drug and alcohol use by alcohol and drug abusers when incarcerated are discussed.