NCJ Number
116899
Date Published
1988
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This monograph considers whether the relative success of defendants while in the District of Columbia urine-testing program is associated with different rates of pretrial misconducted and whether the urine-testing program is a 'signaling device' by which defendants identify themselves as posing either high or low pretrial release risks.
Abstract
The study involved defendants arrested during the 8-month period from June 1984 through January 1985, shortly after the D.C. Pretrial Services Agency urine-testing program began. During this period, certain drug-using defendants released to await trial were randomly assigned to three groups: those given periodic urine testing before trial; those referred for drug abuse treatment; and those in a control group, released with neither urine testing nor referral to treatment. Approximately 2,000 defendants were placed in these three groups. Statistical analyses were performed by estimating pretrial rearrest, failure-to-appear, and overall pretrial misconduct equations, including available information of the personal characteristics, criminal histories, current charges, and lockup test results of the defendants arrested during the study period. Rates of pretrial rearrest, failure-to-appear, and overall pretrial misconduct for defendants who participated in urine testing were about one-half the rates for defendants who dropped out of the urine-testing program. Defendants who participated in urine testing also performed better than persons referred to treatment or those placed in the control group. Findings indicate that the pretrial urine-testing program operates as an effective 'signaling' mechanism. 6 tables, 13 references.