Skip to main content

Table 1 Sociodemographic and drug use characteristics by witnessing or knowing someone died from overdose in prison

From: Characteristics of inmates witnessing overdose events in prison: implications for prevention in the correctional setting

 

Total Sample

N = 1,179

Witnessed someone

suffering an overdose

in prison (n = 1,155)a

p value

Know someone

dying from an

overdose in prison

(n = 1,157)b

p value

  

Yes (n = 525, 45.5%)

 

Yes (n = 390, 33.7%)

 
 

n (%)

n (%)

 

n (%)

 

Gender

     

Male

959 (81.3)

488 (52.1)

p < 0.001

361 (38.5)

p < 0.001

Female

220 (18.7)

37 (17.0)

 

29 (13.3)

 

Age

     

18–24 years

277 (23.5)

84 (31.0)

p < 0.001

72 (26.6)

p = 0.001

25–35 years

596 (50.5)

305 (52.4)

 

225 (38.7)

 

36 or more

306 (26.0)

136 (45.0)

 

93 (30.6)

 

Education level

     

9th grade or less

449 (38.1)

175 (39.7)

p = 0.006

145 (32.9)

p = 0.726

10–12th grade

561 (47.6)

274 (49.7)

 

192 (34.8)

 

More than 12th grade

169 (14.3)

76 (46.6)

 

53 (32.1)

 

Previous incarcerations

     

First time

427 (36.3)

158 (37.8)

p = 0.001

98 (23.4)

p < 0.001

1–5 times

603 (51.2)

291 (49.1)

 

236 (39.8)

 

More than 5 times

147 (12.5)

75 (52.4)

 

55 (38.2)

 

Institution's prevalence of positive urine tests

     

Very high

206 (17.5)

119 (58.9)

p < 0.001

86 (42.4)

p = 0.013

High

320 (27.1)

150 (47.9)

 

102 (32.7)

 

Normal

399 (33.8)

158 (40.2)

 

133 (33.8)

 

Unknown

254 (21.6)

98 (39.7)

 

69 (27.8)

 

Experienced an overdose (lifetime)

     

Yes

144 (12.2)

86 (60.1)

p = 0.001

63 (44.1)

p = 0.005

No

1035 (87.8)

439 (43.4)

 

327 (32.3)

 

Illicit drug use (lifetime)

     

Yes

1033 (87.6)

483 (47.5)

p = 0.001

361 (35.5)

p = 0.001

No

146 (12.4)

42 (30.4)

 

29 (20.7)

 

Drug injection before entering prison

     

Yes

323 (27.5)

194 (60.6)

p < 0.001

144 (44.9)

p < 0.001

No

852 (72.5)

330 (39.6)

 

245 (29.4)

 

Drug and alcohol use during this incarceration^

     

None

632 (53.6)

349 (36.9)

p < 0.001

115 (18.6)

p < 0.001

Only one type of drug/alcohol

160 (13.6)

25 (89.3)

 

62 (39.5)

 

Polydrug with/without alcohol

387 (32.8)

148 (83.1)

 

213 (55.8)

 

Drug injection in prison*

     

None

966 (82.3)

349 (36.9)

p < 0.001

262 (27.6)

p < 0.001

Drug injection, no risky behaviors

29 (2.5)

25 (89.3)

 

17 (60.7)

 

Drug injection, risky behaviors

178 (15.2)

148 (83.1)

 

110 (61.8)

 
  1. a, b Although sample size was 1,179, due to missing values, only participants who responded to these items were included in the analysis.
  2. ^ Drugs included are marihuana, crack, cocaine, heroin, speedball and/or tranquilizers.
  3. *Risky behaviors include sharing needle equipment, not cleaning needle equipment before injecting, reusing water, backloading, doesn't clean skin prior injecting, sharing cooker and cotton and reusing needles