Former incarcerated individuals’ narratives about the illegal drug market in Sweden

• In Event: What happened in Sweden last night? Studies on crime, gender, ethnicity and social class over the last 40 years

Abstract

Over the past decade in Sweden, there has been a growing political and media discussion on the expansion of illegal drug markets. Although research has increased, few studies have examined how people who have been involved in the illicit drug market in Sweden describe the situation. This qualitative study explores former incarcerated individuals’ narratives about the Swedish drug market in the 21st century. The material consists of a narrative analysis of interviews with individuals who had previously been involved in crime and drug use. The study focuses particularly on how the drug market is perceived today compared to when the ex-offenders were themselves involved in crime. Ethnicity, class and gender will also be highlighted. There was consensus among the respondents that there has been an increase in organized crime and violence in illegal drug markets. The respondents also described an increased use of weapons, with more young people involved, and an increase in the availability of drugs since the time when they themselves were involved in crime.

Author

• My Lilja, University of Gavle