In response to an increase in crime levels the Misuse of Drugs Act was enforced in Ireland in 1977. The Irish prison system began to encounter the problem of drug dependency for the first time in the 1980's. This study aimed to explore the drug-related knowledge and attitudes of prison officers in six high-risk prisons in Dublin.

285 self-administered questionnaires were sent to prison officers. The response rate was 82%. The questionnaire sought information on demographic profile, attitudes to drug users and drug usage, attitudes to drug policy and interventions, knowledge of infectious diseases and attitudes to officer training and development.

Most of the respondents knew the names of all the drugs listed, with most seeing the drugs problem in their prison as out of control. Officers tended to be sympathetic to drug users and had little fear of drug users in comparison to the general public. They were in favour of drug prevention and drug treatment strategies, and supported methadone maintenance provision. Most of the respondents felt they did not have the knowledge and skills to deal with drug users and were not provided with educational opportunities to improve these skills, but would be willing to provide such services if they received appropriate training.