Table 1 Examples of terminology to avoid (in alphabetical order), problems related to its use, and preferred wording to describe people who are incarcerated
Terminology to avoid | Problems | Preferred wording |
|---|---|---|
Abuse; misuse | Judgmental; negates the fact that substance use disorders are a medical condition [22]; not conducive to fostering the trust and respect required when engaging with people who use psychoactive substances [19] | (Heavy) substance use; substance use disorder (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – DSM-5); dependence syndrome (International Classification of Diseases – ICD-10) |
Body-packer; drug mule; drug smuggler | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person with body-packing, or with internal concealment of psychoactive substance [36] |
Body-stuffer | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person diagnosed with acute ingestion of psychoactive substance [36] |
Correctional; offender; penitentiary; prison health services | Reinforces stereotypes, moralistic, ambiguous. | Health services in detention settings; healthcare in prison |
Crazy; mental; insane; psycho; mentally ill; emotionally disturbed; demented | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person living with a mental health condition; person living with dementia |
Dungeon; hole | Derogatory, inaccurate, reinforces self-stigma | Solitary confinement |
Drug user; abuser; addict; junkie; dependent | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person with a substance use disorder; person with dependence syndrome; person who uses psychoactive substances |
Ex-prisoner; ex-offender; ex-inmate; ex-felon; ex-con; criminal; thug; post-carceral | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person who was in contact with, involved in, interacted with or experienced the criminal justice system; person with convictions; person who was formerly incarcerated |
High(er)-risk group | Implies that the risk is contained within the group; can increase stigma and discrimination against the designated groups; membership of groups does not place individuals at risk, behaviours may [19] | Key populations; priority population; high-risk behaviour (e.g., sharing needles, condomless sex) |
Hunger striker | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person on hunger strike |
Illegal immigrant; illegal; unlawful non-citizen; visa overstayer; undocumented alien | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person who lacks resident documentation |
Prisoner; inmate; felon; offender | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person who is incarcerated; person who experience incarceration; person in detention/jail/prison; person living in detention/jail/prison; person involved in, or experiencing the criminal justice system |
Prisoner-patient | Health staff care for patients, irrespective of their status | Patient; person in treatment |
Prostitute or prostitution | Not person-centred language, judgmental [12] | Person involved in sex work, or in sale or trade of sexual services; sex worker |
Probationer; parolee | Not person-centred language, judgmental | Person on parole; person on probation |
Substitution therapy or opioid substitution therapy (OST) | Misleading: gives the impression to politicians, civil servants, and other lay people that this therapy is replacing ‘street drugs’ with ‘state drugs’; and therefore, this language counteracts availability of therapy [22] | Opioid agonist therapy (OAT); opioid agonist therapy for the treatment of substance use disorder; treatment [37] |