NCJ Number
65712
Date Published
1979
Length
29 pages
Annotation
THIS GUIDE IS INTENDED FOR USE BY LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SETTING UP JAIL URINE SCREENING PROGRAMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Abstract
MATERIAL PRESENTED IN THE GUIDE IS BASED ON A NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE (NIDA) STUDY WHICH EXAMINED THE UTILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING URINE SCREENING PROGRAMS IN LOCAL JAIL FACILITIES. DURING THE STUDY, PILOT URINE SCREENING PROGRAMS WERE ORGANIZED IN FOUR URBAN COUNTIES: DADE COUNTY, FLA., MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZ., ERIE COUNTY, N.Y.; AND KING COUNTY, WASH. ABOUT 2,000 URINE SPECIMENS WERE COLLECTED FROM ARRESTEES AT THESE 4 SITES DURING THE STUDY. THE MOST REMARKABLE FINDING OF THE STUDY WAS THE RELATIVELY HIGH INCIDENCE OF PROPOXYPHENE USE (TRADE NAME DARVON) DETECTED BY THE URINE SCREENING PROGRAMS IN EACH COUNTY. THUS, THE SCREENING PROGRAM DETECTS DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF DRUG USE THAN DO THE DAWN (DRUG ABUSE WARNING NETWORK) OR CODAP (CLIENT-ORIENTED DATA ACQUISITION PROCESS) SYSTEMS. THE SCREENING PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO BE USEFUL TO LOCAL PLANNERS IN PLANNING DIVERSION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR CRIMINAL OFFENDERS, FOR IDENTIFYING ARRESTEES FOR REFERRAL FOR TREATMENT, AND IN ASSESSING THE OVERALL IMPACT OF DIVERSION PROGRAMS ON LEVELS OF DRUG-RELATED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS. THE GUIDE REVIEWS MAJOR ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN ESTABLISHING EFFICIENT URINE SCREENING PROGRAMS AND PRESENTS OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LOCAL PLANNERS INTERESTED IN SETTING UP SUCH PROGRAMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. DISCUSSION COVERS SUCH FACTORS AS DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES, PERSONNEL, AND LEGALITY; URINALYSIS, TECHNIQUES, AND LOGISTICS SYSTEMS; AND COSTS SUCH AS THOSE FOR STAFFING, DATA PROCESSING, AND URINALYSIS PROCEDURES. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED, AND APPENDIXES PRESENT DATA TABLES AND AN EXAMPLE OF A CONSENT FORM. (PRG)