How can you prevent illegal drugs from entering prison? The American prison system has many different interpretations. Some people think it is a place of rehabilitation. Others may think it is simply punishment for making bad decisions, and there are those who see it as a method of revenge. Regardless of how the prison system is viewed, one thing that may shock everyone is the use of illegal drugs by inmates. There are also a surprising number of unpublicized deaths among the prison population due to overdoses that could have been prevented. The public deserves answers to the following questions:1. How do illegal drugs infiltrate prisons?2. How do inmates create their own substances?3. What is being done to prevent drugs from entering prisons? Answering these questions will provide a broader picture of the ongoing and growing problem of substance abuse within the prison system and the knowledge to discuss potential solutions. Although inmates are locked up in prisons for crimes against society, it is the responsibility of law enforcement to ensure their safety and that the illegal temptations of the outside world do not cross the prison walls. How do illegal drugs infiltrate prisons? Prisons are designed primarily to keep people inside, and less attention is paid to what enters. Regardless of emphasis, the expectation of a facility that has full control over the population should be a drug-free environment. However, drugs and other illegal contraband find their way in undetected. There are many ways that illegal drugs are introduced into the prison population. The article (How common are drugs in prison?, 2011) refers to an inmate's friends or relatives bringing drugs to... middle of paper... so far away as to be hopeless? In the current turbulent state of the world and anemic economy, there is no relief in sight for our crumbling prison system. It is important to understand that degrading prison conditions, combined with drug gang activity, overcrowding and violence go hand in hand. The worse the conditions, the greater the violation. Bill Arrigo notes, “Measures related to poor conditions, such as poor prison management and lack of prison programs due to overcrowding, are associated with high levels of prison violence” (Arrigo, 2006, p. 116). let's make a firm commitment and a lot of money to drive the demons out of our prison system. However, more than this, it will take a commitment to prisoners and an understanding that how we treat our prisoners is a direct reflection on our society as a whole..