NCJ Number
48075
Journal
ADDICTIVE DISEASE Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (1974) Pages: 177-188
Date Published
1974
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THE CRIMINAL PATTERNS OF FEMALE ADDICTS ARE COMPARED TO SEE IF PROSTITUTION OR A VARIETY OF NONPROSTITUTE CRIMINAL HUSTLES, BUT NOT BOTH, ARE USED TO SUPPORT THEIR HABITS.
Abstract
IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A SAMPLING OF A POPULATION OF FEMALE NARCOTICS ABUSERS, ALL RELEVANT RECORDS OF THE PHILADELPHIA, PENN., POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE LABORATORY, AND THE PRE-TRIAL SERVICES DIVISION WERE EXAMINED FOR EVERY ARREST MADE IN A CONSECUTIVE 90-DAY PERIOD IN 1973. DATA WERE GATHERED ON AGE, RACE, AND CURRENT DRUG USE STATUS DURING THE PREARRAIGNMENT INTERVIEW WHICH IS GIVEN TO ALL ARRESTEES SHORTLY AFTER INITIAL PROCESSING BY THE POLICE. NARCOTICS INVOLVEMENT WAS DETERMINED THROUGH POLICE ARREST RECORDS FOR NARCOTICS SALE OR POSSESSION, INFORMATION OBTAINED IN THE INTERVIEW, AND A URINE SPECIMEN. THE MEAN AGE OF THE (1087) WOMEN RANGED FROM 27.1 TO 28.6 YEARS. OF THIS SAMPLE, 227, OR 20.9 PERCENT, WERE INVOLVED WITH NARCOTICS. AMONG THE ARRESTED WOMEN, 93 WERE BOTH PROSTITUTES AND ADDICTS, 134 WERE ADDICTS BUT NOT PROSTITUTES, 119 WERE PROSTITUTES BUT NOT ADDICTS, AND 741 WERE NEITHER ADDICTS NOR PROSTITUTES. THE PROSTITUTES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO BE NARCOTICS-INVOLVED THAN THE NONPROSTITUTES. DATA GATHERED ON RACE INDICATE THAT ALMOST HALF OF THE BLACK ADDICTS WERE PROSTITUTES, WHILE ONLY 20 PERCENT OF THE WHITES WERE ADDICTS. BLACK FEMALE NARCOTICS USERS WERE MORE APT TO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR LARCENY, FORGERY, ROBBERY, ASSAULT, HOMICIDE, OR GAMBLING-RELATED OFFENSES IN ADDITION TO PROSTITUTION THAN WHITE FEMALES. THE BLACKS WERE ALSO MORE FREQUENTLY ARRESTED THAN THE WHITES. THE ORIGINAL HYPOTHESIS THAT FEMALE ADDICT PROSTITUTES ARE LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT NONSEX CRIMES THAN NONPROSTITUTES WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE DATA. THE DATA REVEAL THAT THE GROUPS STUDIED REPRESENT IDENTIFIABLE ALTERNATIVE HUSTLING PATTERNS RATHER THAN PROGRESSIVE STAGES IN A GENERAL SOCIALIZATION PATTERN INVOLVING NARCOTICS ADDICTION AND CRIME. THESE GROUPS WERE TERMED PROSTITUTE/CRIMINALS, PROSTITUTES, CRIMINALS, AND BAG-FOLLOWERS. PROSTITUTE/CRIMINALS ARE THOSE ADDICTED FEMALES WHO FREQUENTLY ENGAGE IN AND ARE ARRESTED FOR BOTH PROSTITUTION AND OTHER SERIOUS OFFENSES. PROSTITUTES, THE SMALLEST GROUP, WERE THOSE WHO DID NOT ENGAGE IN PROPERTY OR PERSONAL CRIMES. CRIMINALS, THE LARGEST GROUP, WERE THOSE FEMALE ADDICTS SUPPORTING THEIR HABITS IN PART THROUGH CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY AND SOMETIMES AGAINST PERSONS, BUT WHO DO NOT ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION. THE BAG-FOLLOWERS ARE ADDICTS WHO CARRY LARGE QUANTITIES OF DRUGS FOR A PUSHER IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THEIR HABIT; NO PROSTITUTION OR OTHER SERIOUS OFFENSES ARE INVOLVED. THIS STUDY INDICATES THAT MOST ADDICTED PROSTITUTES ENGAGE IN A VARIETY OF PERSONAL AND PROPERTY CRIMES. ALSO, PROSTITUTE ADDICTS ARE ARRESTED MORE OFTEN THAN NONPROSTITUTE ADDICTS FOR ALL OFFENSES. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (JSP)