title: Exploring motivations to stop injecting in English prisons: qualitative research with former male prisoners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper aims to explore the cessation of injecting amongst male drug users when in prison in England and uncovers what influenced this behaviour and why.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 male drug users on release from prison to explore what happened to their injecting drug use in prison. The research was conducted from a pragmatic harm reduction approach using grounded theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Not injecting in prison was identified as a pertinent finding and nine overarching themes accounted for this decline. The themes often overlapped with one another, highlighting how the decision not to inject when last in prison was multi-factorial. Running throughout the themes were participants' concerns regarding the health and social risks attributed to injecting in prison, alongside an appreciation of some of the rehabilitative measures and opportunities offered to injecting drug users when in prison.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This qualitative research offers an updated perspective on illicit drug injecting in prison in England from the view of drug users since health and prison policy changes in prescribing and practice. It contributes to evidence suggesting that prisons can be used as a time of reprieve and recovery from injecting drug use.
authors.affiliation: Research Fellow based at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte N E
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Tompkins
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Drugs; Grounded theory; Harm reduction; Imprisonment; Injection drug use; Interviews; Men; Prisoners; Prisons; Public health; Qualitative