NCJ Number
161491
Date Published
1995
Length
63 pages
Annotation
A research and demonstration project conducted by several Iowa agencies led to the establishment of a centralized inmate drug abuse assessment unit at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center; the Mid-Eastern Council on Chemical Abuse (MECCA) provided more than 1,300 drug abuse assessments between September 1994 and June 1995.
Abstract
Data from 1,307 of the 1,322 assessments revealed that 87 percent were male and 13 percent were female. A total of 70.7 percent were white, 22.95 percent were black, 2.52 percent were American Indian, 0.61 percent were Asian American, and 3.21 percent were others. Thirty percent had not been employed in the 6 months prior to incarceration, and only 30.83 percent had been employed for the full 6 months. Nearly two-thirds of the inmates had at least 12th grade education or a General Equivalency Diploma, but less than 2 percent had completed college. Alcohol was the most frequently used drug and was the primary drug used by 60.6 percent, the secondary drug by 13.61 percent, and the tertiary drug by 7.73 percent. Cocaine was the primary drug for 11.02 percent, and a total of 31.52 percent used cocaine. Fifty-five percent used marijuana, which was the secondary or tertiary problem more often than cocaine. Methamphetamine addiction has increased in recent years. Just over 16 percent of the inmates reported psychiatric problems. The 1,307 inmates reported a total of 1,531 arrests in the 12 months before incarceration. Treatment recommendations included residential treatment, outpatient treatment, education, and no treatment and covered both the institutional setting and release. Figures, forms, and detailed results