NCJ Number
129065
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 37 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (January 1991) Pages: 86-100
Date Published
1991
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on a study of 281 male and female intravenous drug-using inmates in the Rikers Island correctional facility in New York City regarding risk-taking behaviors, correlates of risk behavior, and barriers to risk reduction.
Abstract
Almost all of the subjects are daily injectors of heroin, cocaine, and/or a mixture of both. They continue to share and reuse drug paraphernalia without proper sterilization. Men use condoms infrequently during sexual practices, although women report more condom use than men. The number of nondrug crimes within a 6-month period prior to incarceration relate significantly to the number of background and behavioral variables including injecting of drugs, sharing of drug paraphernalia, drug use histories, and unstable residency. In addition, women seem to commit nondrug crimes at a slightly higher rate than men. Many of the subjects did not expect to avoid AIDS and drug use after jail release. The discrepancies found between addicts' expectations and actual behavior subsequent to release indicated a basically negative opinion of methadone maintenance. This study has documented details of prevalent beliefs, attitudes, and expectations conducive to continuation of AIDS risk behaviors that need to be addressed through education and counseling within this population of IVDUs. 8 tables and 30 references (Author abstract modified)