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American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 2001 May;91(5):798–800. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.5.798

Women in jail: is substance abuse treatment enough?

S A Alemagno 1
PMCID: PMC1446680  PMID: 11344891

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the self-reported needs of women in jail who indicated a need for drug abuse services. METHODS: A total of 165 interviews were conducted of women held in a large, urban county jail in Ohio in May 1999. RESULTS: Drug-abusing women were more likely to report a need for housing, mental health counseling, education, job training, medical care, family support, and parenting assistance when released from jail. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of drug abuse treatment referrals to women in jail may not break the continual cycle of drug use and incarceration if other needs cannot be addressed.

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Selected References

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