This study examined the association of DUI arrests to higher levels of substance use and criminal activity.
Results show that probationers who had been arrested for DUI were more likely to have used drugs than probationers with no DUI arrest history. DUI offenders, particularly those with multiple DUI arrests, were also more likely to have committed several of the individual crimes for which data were collected. Results found that after controlling for age and gender, rural DUI offenders were more likely to have a juvenile criminal record and to have more lifetime arrests and adult incarcerations. Auto theft, drug trafficking and possession, assault, and illegal weapons possession were also more prevalent among multiple DUI offenders. This information could be helpful when defining conditions of probation and alerting probation officers to potential problem areas that should be more closely monitored for probationers with a history of DUI. Results have implications for substance abuse treatment providers. Data were collected from 800 probationers from rural Kentucky. Tables and references