Drug use and sales are rampant in prisons across the United States. Despite efforts to curb contraband, illicit substances regularly make their way behind bars through visitors, staff, deliveries, and even drones. For inmates, drugs provide an escape from the stark reality of incarceration. For dealers, the inflated prices allow huge profits. But drugs in prison come at a high cost to safety, rehabilitation, and lives.
The Prevalence of Drugs in Prison
Drug use in state and federal prisons is estimated to be 3 to 4 times higher than in the general population. A study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that over half of state and federal prisoners regularly used drugs prior to incarceration, and many continue using behind bars. The most common drugs found in correctional facilities are:
- Marijuana
- Heroin and other opiates
- Cocaine and crack
- Methamphetamine
- Synthetic drugs like K2 or Spice
- Prescription medications
Reasons for widespread drug use include self-medication, addiction, coping mechanisms, and availability. Boredom and stress also drive inmates to use drugs as a form of escape.
Contraband drugs enter facilities through various access points. Visitors and staff may smuggle them in. Shipments of food, laundry, and supplies can hide drugs. Some are thrown over fences or sent by drone. In maximum security prisons, the most common pathway is through corrupt staff.
The High Prices Driven by Demand
Inside prison, the laws of supply and demand dramatically inflate drug prices. When supply is scarce but demand remains high, incarcerated sellers can charge exorbitant rates. While marijuana may cost $10 per gram on the street, the price behind bars can soar to $50 or even $100 per gram. Heroin that sells for $100 per gram outside may cost $500 per gram inside.
For dealers, selling drugs in prison can be extremely lucrative. Markups allow them to earn the equivalent of six-figure salaries. But prisoners pay these inflated prices to temporarily escape reality and cope with incarceration.
Corrupt guards also smuggle and sell contraband to prisoners, sometimes coercing them to buy or setting quotas. Officials estimate nearly one third of contraband drugs are brought in by staff. Guards can charge even higher markups, earning massive profits.
The High Costs to Health and Safety
The prevalence of drugs in prisons carries huge costs that go beyond the financial. Usage puts individual and public health at risk through disease transmission and overdoses. Sharing needles spreads bloodborne illnesses like HIV and hepatitis C. In 2018 alone, over 100 inmates died of overdoses in Pennsylvania prisons.
Drugs also undermine safety and rehabilitation in facilities. Usage is associated with violence and misconduct. Addicted individuals suffer impaired judgement, self-control, and mental health. Prison nurses report spending much of their time responding to drug-related emergencies.
Synthetic drugs like K2 bring unique risks due to potency and unpredictability. K2 overdoses can cause seizures, psychosis, aggression, and death. In 2016, dozens of overdoses at an Ohio prison were linked to K2 contaminated with fentanyl.
The prevalence of drugs also breeds an underground prison economy and empowers prison gangs. Extortion, bribery, and violence often surround the drug trade behind bars. Gangs leverage contraband to build power structures that threaten the control and stability of institutions.
Efforts to Interdict Drugs in Prison
Federal and state prison authorities employ a variety of supply-focused measures to intercept narcotics:
- Screening visitors – Policies aim to block smuggling through pat downs, scanners, drug dogs, etc. But staff shortages can limit enforcement.
- Monitoring mail – Facilities scan and inspect incoming mail. But smugglers use creative concealment tactics.
- Drug testing inmates – Random and routine testing deters use. But synthetic urine, swapping samples, and timed use evade detection.
- Cell searches – Blocks, cells, and common areas are searched routinely. But hiding places still exist.
- Technology – Scanners, sensors, surveillance, and phone monitoring combat contraband. But gaps remain.
- Interdicting supply lines – Authorities try tracing contraband sources and disrupting networks through arrests, prosecutions, and garnering intelligence.
But these supply-oriented approaches only modestly stem the flow. Drugs remain readily available in most prisons. More holistic strategies are needed encompassing prevention, treatment, and demand reduction alongside supply interdiction.
The Underground Prison Drug Economy
Despite interdiction efforts, drugs remain embedded in the prison economy. The huge markups create financial incentives at every link in the supply chain both inside and outside prison walls. Here are some important roles:
Inmate dealers procure drugs from guards or external sources. They market and sell to users, charging sky-high rates enabled by prison markup dynamics. Successful dealers can earn thousands of dollars monthly trafficking drugs. But they also risk solitary confinement or sentence extensions if caught.
Inmate mules are lower-level distributors who may conceal and transport drugs internally or through hiding places. They earn commissions far exceeding legitimate prison jobs. But they bear the physical risks of transport and face steep punishments if intercepted.
Guards & staff are among the most powerful suppliers given their access and ability to evade searches. But smuggling drugs incurs great legal and career risks, only tempting the most corrupt. Crooked staff may actively seek out inmates to coerce or profit from.
Outside contacts include family, friends, and gang affiliates who smuggle in drugs through devious means. But visitors risk barred access if caught, while mailed drugs have low success rates. Drones are a newer method, but prisons counter with tech that detects and disables them.
Gang leaders orchestrate distribution and sales through affiliated members. They use drugs to build loyalty, gain power and profits, settle scores, and control other inmates. Strong enforcement keeps most leaders detached from direct involvement.
This underground web permeates the prison population. Eliminating it requires disrupting both outside supply lines and the complex social and economic dynamics inside.
Case Examples of Prison Drug Busts
To illustrate the scope of the prison drug problem, here are five recent cases involving smuggling, dealing, and use behind bars:
Date: March 2021
Location: FCI Fort Dix, New Jersey
Details: A corrections officer was arrested for accepting bribes and smuggling K2, cell phones, and other contraband. Inmates paid over $40,000 in monthly bribes. The officer made five-figure profits trafficking over 40 pounds of synthetic marijuana into the prison.
Date: January 2022 Location: Eastern Correctional Institution, West Virginia Details: A drone dropped a package containing tobacco, marijuana, and cell phones in a recreation yard. Two inmates quickly recovered the materials. Authorities detected the drone but were unable to locate the operator.
Date: September 2021 Location: California State Prison, Corcoran, California Details: A search uncovered an inmate meth distribution operation. 16 prisoners had conspired with outside distributors. Searches found meth packages hidden in cereal boxes totaling over 2 pounds of meth and more than $32,000 in cash.
Date: June 2022
Location: Rogers State Prison, Georgia
Details: A GBI drug investigation led to the indictment of 17 individuals for smuggling meth through the mail system. The meth was concealed inside coloring books, documents, and food packages mailed to 12 inmate recipients.
Date: April 2021 Location: Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Corrections Center, Missouri Details: Three prisoners died from apparent overdoses within a two-day span. Toxicology reports found evidence of K2 synthetic cannabis in one case. The deaths underscored the overdose risks from contraband drugs circulating in prisons.
These cases demonstrate the scope of drug smuggling, distribution, and use within US correctional facilities. Though authorities regularly intercept contraband, the drug trade continues to thrive in prisons where demand remains high.
Quotes from Convicted Inmates
To provide direct perspective, here are quotes from five inmates convicted on charges related to distributing or using drugs in prison:
“We took a big risk selling drugs in prison, but the profits were just too good to pass up. I earned over $5,000 a month selling weed and heroin to other inmates. It let me live like a king in there.” – Darius S., former inmate at Orleans Parish Prison convicted of distribution.
“I’ve seen drugs destroy so many lives in here. Guys get hooked on K2 or opiates and they’re never the same person again. But when you’re facing 20 years in prison, drugs are one of the few escapes you’ve got.” – Michael T., former inmate at Sing Sing Correctional Facility convicted of possession.
“Me and a few guys had a system for getting suboxone strips mailed in using fake attorney letters. We’d sell each strip for $500 or more. I made enough for my whole family to get taken care of on the outside.” – Alex P., former inmate at Lieber Correctional Institution convicted of distribution.
“I got hooked on heroin when I was 14, years before I got locked up. So when drugs came my way in prison, the temptation was too much. Now I’m serving extra years for possession, trying to get clean.” – Ryan K., inmate at Snake River Correctional Institution.
“The gang leaders control who gets to sell drugs on the inside. If you try dealing without their approval, you’ll quickly find a shiv in your back. So you’ve got no choice but to pay their fees if you want to move weight.” – Isaiah F., former inmate at California Men’s Colony convicted of distribution.
These direct quotes provide insight into the motivations, mechanics, and consequences of dealing and using drugs from the perspective of those involved in the prison drug economy. Their stories put a human face on illicit drug markets operating behind bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to 5 common questions about the cost of drugs in prisons:
How much do drugs cost in prison?
Drug prices in prison far exceed street prices, with markups of up to 10-15 times higher. A single dose of heroin that costs $10 outside may sell for $50 or more inside. An ounce of marijuana with a street value of $100 could go for $500-$1,000 in prison. Synthetic drugs like K2 have even steeper markups.
Why are drug prices so high in prisons?
Basic economics of supply and demand drive prices up. Drugs are illegal and availability is lower in prison. But inmate demand remains high, creating scarcity. Inmates are also a captive consumer market with time on their hands and limited options. Distributors and dealers exploit these conditions to charge inflated prices.
Which drugs are most expensive in jails and prisons?
The most costly drugs are those most in demand and hardest to smuggle like heroin, meth, suboxone, K2 and other synthetics. Marijuana and prescription drugs are cheaper since some supply can be diverted from medical sources. Overall, narcotics are priced higher than drugs like marijuana.
How do inmates afford such high drug prices in prison?
Most prisoners have little legitimate income or savings. Many rely on money from family or friends outside. A small number work prison jobs that pay up to a few dollars per hour. But for full-time dealers, trafficking drugs provides income to finance their own supply and pay inflated costs.
Does drug abuse decrease when prices are higher in prison?
Higher prices curb use among casual users. But for addicted individuals or those seeking escape, demand remains strong regardless of cost. In fact, higher drug prices drive more trafficking and dealing to finance usage. For drugs like heroin, higher potency offsets higher prices for heavy users.
In summary, the underground drug economy in prisons results in inflated prices that inmates will pay almost at any cost. Though interdiction efforts exist, drugs remain widely available in jails and prisons due to exceptional profit incentives. Until demand is addressed through education, counseling, diversion programs, and rehabilitation, the lure of drug profits behind bars will persist.
Conclusion
Drug usage and sales remain highly prevalent in US prisons due to both supply and demand drivers. Inmates seek illicit substances to self-medicate, escape boredom, or cope with lengthy sentences. For distributors, the captive market and ruthless price markups offer huge profits at the expense of vulnerable individuals.
Prison authorities combat contraband through searches, monitoring, and supply interdiction. But these efforts only modestly disrupt the cycle of addiction and distribution. Drugs remain embedded in the prison economy, with pricing inflated five to ten times above street rates. Driving down demand through rehabilitation and counseling is critical to regaining control.
The human and institutional toll of prison drug abuse is immense between health hazards, gang violence, and reduced rehabilitation. Creative solutions encompassing both supply and demand reduction are needed to mitigate the cycle of drugs, crime, incarceration, and recidivism. With over 2 million incarcerated, US prisons must lead the way in developing effective strategies. The futures of millions of Americans and the safety of communities across the country depend on it.