NCJ Number
150884
Date Published
1994
Length
90 pages
Annotation
The established link between drug use and crime has led to the increasing use of drug testing to identify offenders' drug use; this study was undertaken to define the critical elements of a criminal justice drug-testing program and to describe the development of these elements in comprehensive programs.
Abstract
The Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) cities were selected for this study, because data are available from ongoing drug testing of arrestees quarterly. These sites are part of a national database of trend information on drug use among arrestees. Following a review of DUF project history, the seven urine drug-testing program elements that enhance a urine drug-testing program are described. They are support from the criminal justice system and the community, universal and frequent testing, testing integrated throughout the criminal justice system, specified and graduated consequences for positive drug tests, links to intervention resources and treatment services, individual and aggregate data, and budget and staff resources. The site visits were used to examine the development, implementation, and use of urine drug testing in a variety of criminal justice settings. By focusing on the seven elements, it was possible to learn more about the factors that contribute to a comprehensive drug-testing program. Site summaries include information obtained through interviews, observation, written surveys, and telephone conversations. The sites were Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), the University of Alabama at Birmingham TASC (Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime) Program, and Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Appended working group participants, sample questionnaires, and summary information