Inside Prison: The Effects of a Blanket Ban on New Psychoactive Substances

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: d'Este, Rocco
• 署名单位: University of Sussex
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueaf114
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: Crack cocaine; methamphetamine; suicide; HEALTH; MARKET; SPICE; path; LAWS

摘要

Prisons are central institutions in the criminal justice system, yet limited data have impeded a systematic analysis of their internal dynamics. We compile a novel, comprehensive dataset covering all prisons in England and Wales to evaluate the effects of a UK-wide ban on new psychoactive substances-potent synthetic drugs designed to circumvent regulation and readily trafficked into custodial settings. We first document the diffusion of these substances across the prison system and a strong correlation with rising violence. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we find that the ban produced a sustained reduction in drug availability, but also a short-term increase in both interpersonal violence and self-harm among inmates. These findings underscore the complex trade-offs involved in supply-side interventions within high-risk environments. Effective policy responses in such settings should integrate demand-side measures-such as addiction treatment and mental health services-to mitigate unintended harms and improve institutional safety.