Alex, a recovering heroin addict, speaks on his experience of drugs in prison. Alex first used heroin at the age of 18 years old. By the time Alex as 19 he had been arrested and sent to prison for 4 years.
18 months into Alex’s incarceration he was offered to buy heroin from another inmate. Alex describes the thought of shooting heroin in prison as a fantasy due to the ability for escapism and instant relief. Alex goes on to describe the most common ways of how drugs get into prisons; the most common of which is through visiting when his brother or friends would bring in heroin in balloons to be swallowed or put up his rectum. Correctional officers are said to sometimes help with introducing drugs to prison for profit.
90 days before Alex had a parole date he got clean, anticipating a drug test. However when the day came Alex found that he was not due to receive drug tests throughout his parole, that night Alex went and bought heroin.
Eventually Alex got sober at a treatment center and describes now how he has an identity and purpose in life for which he is grateful.