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Open Access 01-09-2013 | Original Paper

Problem Gambling Inside and Out: The Assessment of Community and Institutional Problem Gambling in the Canadian Correctional System

Authors: Nigel E. Turner, Denise L. Preston, Steven McAvoy, Laura Gillam

Published in: Journal of Gambling Studies | Issue 3/2013

Abstract

This paper reports on the results of a multi-site survey of gambling behaviour and gambling problems amongst offenders in correctional institutions in Ontario, Canada, conducted between 2008 and 2011. A total of 422 (completion rate 61.5 %) incarcerated offenders (381 male and 41 female) took part in the study including 301 federal offenders and 121 provincial offenders. Based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index of the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI/PGSI) the prevalence rate of severe problem gambling was 8.9 prior to incarceration and 4.4 % during incarceration. These numbers are substantially higher than rates found among the general public. Thirty-four percent of the sample reported gambling in prison. Half of those who suffered from gambling problems before incarceration continued to have gambling problems during incarceration. People with problems related to slot machines prior to incarceration reported fewer gambling problems during incarceration compared to other problem gamblers.

Different researchers have used different labels. Pathological, probable pathological and severe problems are all intended to indicate the most severely disordered gamblers. Subclinical and moderate problem gamblers refer to those gamblers who fall just short of a clinical diagnosis.

These numbers are not weighted to correct for oversampling of Federal offenders. If weighted to correct for the over sampling of federal offenders the overall prevalence estimates would be 9.4 % (±3.4 %) pathological based on the DSM-IV-TR, 16.9 % (±5.6 %) probable pathological based on the SOGS, and 10.7 % (±3.8 %) severe problem gambler based on the PGSI/CPGI.

Degrees of freedom for t test and ANOVA are related to the number of institutions from which the data was drawn.

The exact number was not recorded, but about 20 of the offenders and the heads of the Inmate Committees at both minimum institutions expressed this view to us.

This partial correlation was calculated based on the output from AM for the three variables involved using a calculator found at http://vassarstats.net/par.html. The significance level was determined using regression analysis in AM.

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Title: Problem Gambling Inside and Out: The Assessment of Community and Institutional Problem Gambling in the Canadian Correctional System
Authors: Nigel E. Turner
Denise L. Preston
Steven McAvoy
Laura Gillam
Publication date: 01-09-2013
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Gambling Studies / Issue 3/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3602
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-012-9321-1

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Problem Gambling Inside and Out: The Assessment of Community and Institutional Problem Gambling in the Canadian Correctional System

Abstract

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Abstract

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