'I wanted a head change' : motivations and influences on men's illicit drug using practices in prison

This chapter describes the main findings from exploratory qualitative social drug research in England, which considered how the prison setting influenced men's illicit drug use and their drug-using motivations in prison. The study uncovered what influenced the sample to make changes in their drug use when in prison and why and how they behaved when there. Men's prison drug-using behaviours were different to their community practices in that they were more carefully considered and controlled, and there were also differences in the nature of the drugs used, the frequency of their use and the administration routes used. Despite those in prison drug treatment being provided with substitute medication, wanting to experience a psychological 'head change' from the prison environment was a major motivation to use drugs there. This finding provides important insights for harm reduction interventions and for health and social care professionals planning and delivering healthcare and treatment to drug users in European prisons. Provision of tailored psychosocial interventions to address the desire for a 'head change' may optimise the prison as a setting for recovery from the use of illicit drugs and reduce motivations to use illicit drugs when there.