Drug Trafficking in Prison

(Source)

For gangs, drugs in prison are a multi-million dollar trade. Heroin, Ecstasy, Marijuana, and Crystal Meth are all readily available behind bars. As amazing as it seems there is a great demand for such drugs and it is easy to see why with the monetary motivation. Drugs sell for up to ten times their street value in prison. Experts estimate the illicit drug trade behind bars is roughly worth $300 million. 1 Along with providing more power to individuals and leaders who sell drugs, they can also make enough money to send money home and feed their families. If selling drugs has become the means for your survival why would you stop once imprisoned, especially if imprisoned for life?

Some find it amazing that drugs can reach pisoners in such isolated conditions but where there is a will (and virtually an unlimited amount of time) there is a way. Drugs like Heroin (can and) are smuggled in under a letter fold, flap, or stamp. A common practice is to take two identical post cards, rip them in half, iron the drug paper thin, place it back between the two sides and iron it again. A postcard will be created, almost paper thin, that can be pulled apart to discover the hidden drugs. Each day personal from Pelican Bay search through 5,000 pieces of mail to find drugs.

Prisons have no illusions about the drug trade that is going on behind bars. They also have a zero tolerance policy against drugs and there use. However, they usually lack the staff, money, and manpower to effectively police the trade. In some cases the guards turn a blind eye and allow the practice of using drugs. This is a way to keep prisoners quite, sedate, and under control. It is easy to see why this would occur in situations which there are 300 plus prisoners and less than 10 guards. It is easier to allow these prisoners to do drugs then it would be to police them. In such cases riots and guard murders are less likely to occur. In other more extreme cases guards can find themselves in situations of blackmail and can be used to smuggle in drugs themselves. 

Where does the demand for all these drugs come from? A lot of criminals are behind bars from drug trafficking and they themselves are addicts and addicted to the substance in which they sold. Being that 80 percent of prisoners are drug users and 35 percent of prisoners are drug addicts the demand for drugs is enormous and constant. 2

1 & 2. “Lockdown: Prison Nation.” National Geographic. Explorer. DVD. 2006