Drug Testing in the Prison System

The main objective of drug testing in the prison system is to screen inmates who take drugs, to recognize inmates who are junkies, to observe and prevent inmates in the prison system for further use and abuse of illicit substances. This essay reviews the most common tests carried out in the prison system to ascertain those who are using drugs. The emphasis is on the criminal justice system and how they identify junkies and in the prison system. When testing inmates in the prison system, there are some ethical and legal issues that should be considered, and these issues are different from those raised if the criminal justice system is testing other population. This essay starts by talking about the drug policy debate, criminological theories and concepts that determine drug testing in the prison system, further moves to the purpose, methods and issues (ethical and legal) of drug testing and wraps it up with conclusion and recommendations.