[Problems of addiction behind prison walls--experiences from prison medical practice].

The difficult task of medical practice behind prison walls is illustrated by examples. The medical practitioner is often challenged by the task of combining ethics, law, the needs of the client, public opinion and political policy without getting much recognition and/or support. Co-morbidity of addiction and psychological-psychiatric disorders is an additional problem. Often it appears as a "hen or egg" problem, what was first? Clients needing psychiatric treatment often remain imprisoned in care with the medical practitioner because of the difficult circumstances mentioned above. Almost like the medical practitioner finding himself "imprisoned" with the clients managing the situation as good as possible (or not) with limited resources.