Women and vulnerable groups in prison: what are their drug problems and what are their needs?

Over 700,000 women are currently imprisoned worldwide. Although women are a minority (7%) of the total prison population, their health and social care needs are much greater than those of men. Drug use is an important, yet little studied, factor in women’s offending. Information on women’s drug use in prison, including differences with that of men, is also limited. These differences, however, have substantial implications for women’s health and social care needs in prison. Important questions remain to be answered regarding women who are imprisoned, their drug use prior to arrest, what happens to them in prison and when they are released, and the impact of effective interventions on their well-being and that of their families and the wider community”.