Decriminalization of Drunkenness - Effects on the Work of Suburban Police

• NCJ Number: 76259
• Journal: Journal of Studies on Alcohol Volume: 41 Issue: 9 Dated: (1980) Pages: 819-828
• Author(s): L R Daggett; E J Rolde
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Results are reported from a Boston metropolitan area study that documented the extent to which police were continuing to use jail cells for dealing with the kinds of people whom they formerly would have arrested on public drunkenness charges before decriminalization of public drunkenness.

Abstract

Police departments in 10 suburban towns were visited; 5 of these towns had detoxification centers. In each department, at least two officers were interviewed; officers were selected on the basis of their position and experience, such that they would be familiar with departmental practices in dealing with intoxicated persons. Data obtained in the interviews were the number of drunkenness and disorderly conduct arrests made during the 18-month period before the change in the law and the number of protective custody detentions and disorderly conduct arrests made during the 18-month period after the change in the law. The directors of each of the five detoxification centers were also interviewed to gain an understanding of their patterns of operation and their dealings with the police. Several officials of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Alcoholism were interviewed as well. Findings showed that the decriminalization of public drunkenness in the areas studied resulted in an increase in jail detentions for drinking-related matters and that the expected diversion of police-case inebriates to treatment facilities occurred to a minimal degree. All of those arrested were perceived by the police as engaging in objectionable behavior while being intoxicated. The policy and practice of the detoxification centers must be changed if those with drinking-related problems are not to be jailed. The centers must be willing to exercise a social control function by enforcing involuntary treatment at the short-term centers; legislation is also needed to enforce longer term treatment at other facilities for clients using the short-term treatment center in a revolving-door fashion. A few footnotes, 15 references and a table are provided.