Abstract
Scholars have explored and compared the experiences of people who use drugs (PWUDs), including encounters with the criminal justice system. However, there is a dearth of literature on police encounters with PWUDs in African countries, such as Ghana. This phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of PWUDs with the police. Thirty-eight PWUDs (mean age = 38; SD = 10.40) were purposively sampled from six drug rehabilitation centres from three regions in Ghana. Three themes were developed from the participants’ responses: police encounters, ecstasy and the psychosocial consequences of drug use, such as the psychological effects, development of criminality, disruption of people’s lifestyles and collapse of familial relationships. The topic of police encounters included the sub-themes of sudden, unannounced police sweeps, ghettos, bribery and the non-deterrence of arrests. These themes are discussed in relation to the literature, and several recommendations are proffered.
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Notes
- 1.
See the 2020 Narcotics Control Commission Act, which the president confirmed in May 2020. It replaces the now-repealed Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Law of 1990 (PNDCL 236). The new law allows for monetary payment for drug possession for use instead of incarceration.
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Parimah, F., Kwakye-Nuako, C.O., Ane, MG., Debrah, T.P., Ashinyo, M.E., Hanu, S.C. (2021). The Experiences of People Who Use Drugs and Their Encounters with the Police in Ghana. In: Chan, H.C.(., Adjorlolo, S. (eds) Crime, Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71024-8_11
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