Systemic effects of COVID-19 policy changes on drug availability in prison: A natural experiment in Oregon, a research note

Drugs in prison can have serious consequences for prisoners, staff, and communities. In this study, we employed a natural experimental design to assess the systemic effects of the policy changes introduced by the Oregon Department of Corrections in March 2020 to slow the spread of coronavirus-2019 (...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Labrecque, Ryan (Author) ; Nobles, Matt R. (Author) ; Ginsburg Kempany, Katherine (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Criminology
Year: 2025, Volume: 63, Issue: 3, Pages: 661-672
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Keywords:
drug interdiction
Drug trafficking
Drugs
Prison
Description
Summary:Drugs in prison can have serious consequences for prisoners, staff, and communities. In this study, we employed a natural experimental design to assess the systemic effects of the policy changes introduced by the Oregon Department of Corrections in March 2020 to slow the spread of coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) on the measures of drug use and misconduct (e.g., suspended visits, precluded nonsecurity staff from entering facilities, stopped prisoner work release assignments). More specifically, we conducted interrupted time-series analyses to evaluate whether the policy changes corresponded to changes in the aggregate rates of positive urinalysis tests and drug-related misconduct. The results revealed statistically significant decreases in the rates of positive drug tests and misconduct system wide after the COVID-19 policy changes. Research and policy implications are discussed.
ISSN:1745-9125
DOI:10.1111/1745-9125.70001