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Background and Description of the Urine-Testing Program

NCJ Number
116900
Author(s)
M A Toborg; J P Bellassai
Date Published
1988
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This monograph reviews studies of drug-crime relationships generally and in the District of Columbia particularly, portrays the workings of the D.C. criminal justice system and the organization and mission of the D.C. Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) and describes in detail the operations of PSA's urine-testing program.
Abstract
Although studies continue to disagree over whether drug use and criminality are causally related, there is a general consensus based on overwhelming evidence that the two behaviors are highly correlated. Findings from District of Columbia studies of the drug-crime relationship parallel those of other studies. In March 1984, a comprehensive pretrial urine-testing program was implemented in the D.C. criminal justice system. The program, operated by the Pretrial Services Agency, tests virtually all adult arrestees for the presence of selected drugs in their urine at the time of arrest. Test results are made available to PSA's in-court representatives, who make pretrial release recommendations to the court. The program also includes a pretrial release option that involves periodic urine testing for pretrial releasees. Continued drug use by the releasee, as shown by test results, is a violation of release conditions and is reported by PSA to the court; the court may impose sanctions for the violation. 47 footnotes.

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