NCJ Number
217144
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 33-37
Date Published
June 2006
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article presents results of an analysis of the random urinalysis program that has been implemented in the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC’s) Federal institutions.
Abstract
The results show that while the rate of positive drug tests has remained stable since 1996 (11 percent of all random urinalysis tests), the rate of refusals for the drug test has marginally increased from 9 percent in 1996 to 12 percent in 2004. The changes in refusal rates varied by region: refusal rates decreased in the Atlantic and Quebec regions and increased in the Pacific region. The proportion of male inmate samples found to be diluted has remained relatively stable since the introduction of the dilution protocol in 1997, but increased among the female inmate samples since 2003/2004. The types of drugs found in inmate samples have also remained relatively stable with the exception that a greater proportion of opiate use has been discovered in the maximum-security institutions in the Ontario region. The drugs found in inmate samples included THC (82 percent of positive samples), opiates (14 percent), benzodiazepines (6 percent), cocaine (1 percent), and amphetamines (0.43 percent). Significant differences were uncovered in the types of drugs found in the samples of female and male inmates, which may be reflective of the patterns of prescription drug use in women’s facilities. The rate of poly-drug use on the other hand, was approximately equal for men and women (8 percent and 7 percent, respectively). The research involved the examination of all 58,873 requested random urinalysis tests performed between January 1996 and December 2004. Urinalysis records were obtained from the Offender Management System (OMS). 2 tables, 3 figures, and 6 notes