title: The Elusive Goal of Drug-Free Prisons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although there is a need for well-designed evaluations, international evidence shows that drugs frequently enter prisons and enforcement efforts are said to be linked to adverse events.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to examine drug enforcement within a federal prison system, overseen by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), and to detail competing perspectives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three main sources of data were used in this qualitative study: 16 interviews conducted between 2010 and 2012 with former CSC senior officials, former frontline staff, and external stakeholders; CSC research publications and other documents; and transcripts from a relevant House of Commons Standing Committee public study. All texts were coded and compared to examine emergent themes of interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six key themes are described as contested effects of enhanced in-prison drug enforcement: (1) continued and creative efforts to bring in drugs; (2) climate of tensions and violence; (3) prisoners switching their drug use; (4) health-related harms; (5) deterrence of visitors; and (6) staff involvement in the in-prison drug trade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urgently needed are rigorous evaluations of in-prison drug enforcement, along with closer scrutiny of policy recommendations that uphold the goal of drug-free prisons. Studying similar prison systems as complex risk-managing organizations may offer new information about drug enforcement policy and practice resistance despite detrimental effects.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Social and Epidemiological Research , Toronto , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Tara Marie
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011330:Prisons; D036301:Qualitative Research; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Prison; drugs; enforcement; organizations; policy