School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College, London, UK.
Crim Behav Ment Health. 2022 Dec;32(6):389-403. doi: 10.1002/cbm.2266. Epub 2022 Nov 17.
There is evidence that prisoners have the highest rate of problem gambling in any population, but little is known about the nature of in-prison gambling, the motives for it or how it relates to prior gambling behaviour.
To investigate the prevalence and type of gambling prior to prison and the prevalence, type, and reasons for gambling in prison.
Two hundred and eighty-two male volunteers in a Category B male prison in England completed a questionnaire which included the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).
One hundred and twenty-six (45%) reported gambling in prison, with eighty-one (30%) of participants reporting that gambling was a normal part of prison life. Pre-prison behaviour, whether type of index offence or prior gambling, had little relationship to in-prison gambling. Frequency of gambling in prison increased with increasing PGSI risk category. The most common types of gambling in prison were card/dice games, sports and ball games, while the most common motives were entertainment, excitement or sense of challenge and to win prizes, with significant differences in motive between PGSI risk categories. Prison canteen items formed the most common currency gambled. People within the higher PGSI risk category were more likely to have borrowed items from other prisoners.
Our research has added to existing literature by identifying high rates of gambling in prison and showing that prisoners' perceptions of gambling are as a normal part of prison life. Findings suggest that screening and support should be available to manage gambling in prison, including support to reduce gambling-related debt, particularly given associations between debt and violence in prison. Relief from boredom and need for excitement were among the most common reasons for gambling in prison, indicating that there is a need to provide a more appropriately stimulating prison environment.
有证据表明，囚犯是任何人群中赌博问题发生率最高的群体，但对于狱中赌博的性质、动机以及与之前赌博行为的关系知之甚少。
调查入狱前的赌博流行率和类型，以及入狱时的赌博流行率、类型和原因。
英格兰 B 类男囚中 282 名男性志愿者完成了一份问卷，其中包括问题赌博严重程度指数（PGSI）。
126 人（45%）报告在狱中赌博，其中 81 人（30%）表示赌博是狱中生活的正常组成部分。入狱前的行为，无论是犯罪类型还是之前的赌博行为，与狱中赌博几乎没有关系。狱中赌博的频率随着 PGSI 风险类别增加而增加。狱中最常见的赌博类型是纸牌/骰子游戏、体育和球类游戏，而最常见的动机是娱乐、刺激或挑战感以及赢得奖品，不同的 PGSI 风险类别之间在动机上存在显著差异。监狱小卖部的物品是最常见的赌博货币。处于较高 PGSI 风险类别的人更有可能从其他囚犯那里借来物品。
我们的研究通过确定高比例的狱中赌博行为，并表明囚犯对赌博的看法是狱中生活的正常组成部分，为现有文献增添了内容。研究结果表明，应提供筛查和支持服务来管理狱中赌博，包括支持减少与赌博相关的债务，特别是考虑到债务与狱中暴力之间的关联。缓解无聊和寻求刺激是狱中赌博的常见原因之一，这表明有必要提供一个更具刺激性的监狱环境。
