Main findings indicate several aspects of prison life that present challenges to effective drug treatment: (1) the prison culture and regime; (2) the attitudes of staff toward drug abuse and drug abusers; (3) and the relationship between officers and prisoners. Results revealed that the prison environment did not constitute an appropriate therapeutic environment for the delivery of drug treatment programming and that the negative attitudes of staff toward drug abusers and drug abuse treatment exacerbated the problem. The findings suggest that drug treatment strategies containing flexibility and the range of skills necessary to address the complexities of prisoners’ needs are required to deliver effective drug treatment within prison environments. The authors expect that the intensity of the required interventions will require a degree of privatization and they contend that offenders who demonstrate a readiness for drug treatment should be targeted for these interventions. It is also recommended that interventions be implemented that increase prisoners’ motivation to give up drugs and that transform officer’s attitudes toward drug abusers. The research involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with 14 prison staff and 11 prisoners. Interviews with staff focused on their career background and training, their perceptions of the drug culture in prison, their attitudes toward drug use and drug users, their views of the drug treatment available in the prison, and their relationship with prisoners. Interviews with prisoners focused on their drug use and criminal histories, their perceptions and experience of drug treatment in prison, their previous treatment experience, and their general views on treatment services. Researchers also observed all aspects of drug treatment programming. Interviews and observations were examined for emerging themes. Future research should explore the use of motivational interviews to help promote recovery from illegal drug abuse. References