NCJ Number
48407
Journal
Addictive Diseases Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (1975) Pages: 481-489
Date Published
1975
Length
9 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE SEX DIFFERENCES IN CRIMINALITY AMONG DRUG ABUSE PATIENTS, DATA FROM A NATIONAL DATABANK, THE DRUG ABUSE REPORTING PROGRAM (DARP) WERE ASSESSED FOR THE ENTIRE COHORT OF 42,293 DRUG ABUSE PATIENTS.
Abstract
DARP DATA PROVIDE STANDARDIZED QUALITY CONTROLLED DATA ON PATIENTS IN 50 DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS. THE STUDY POPULATION WAS COMPOSED OF ALL THOSE DRUG ABUSERS ADMITTED TO THESE PROGRAMS BETWEEN 1969 AND 1973. IN GENERAL, THE TREATMENT POPULATION IS PREDOMINANTLY MALE, AGED 30 YEARS OR LESS, PREDOMINANTLY BLACK AND HISPANIC, AND COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS WITH A HISTORY OF DRUG ABUSE EXTENDING SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO PROGRAM ADMISSION. ANALYSIS OF DATA REVEALED MARKED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE PATIENTS. OF MALE DRUG ABUSE PATIENTS, 86 PERCENT HAD BEEN ARRESTED PRIOR TO TREATMENT, AND MOST OF THESE HAD BEEN ARRESTED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES. OF FEMALE PATIENTS, 77 PERCENT HAD PRIOR ARRESTS RECORDS, BUT ONLY 27 PERCENT OF THESE HAD MORE THAN FOUR ARRESTS. BOTH SEXES SHOW MARKEDLY FEWER CONVICTIONS THAN ARRESTS: THE MODAL NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS FOR BOTH SEXES IS 1; AND ALTHOUGH 15 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE HAD 10 OR MORE ARRESTS, ONLY 4 PERCENT HAD 10 OR MORE CONVICTIONS. WHILE 30 PERCENT OF THE FEMALES HAD BEEN INCARCERATED FOR 1 MONTH OR LONGER AND ONLY 6 PERCENT HAD BEEN INCACERATED FOR 3 OR MORE YEARS, 54 PERCENT OF THE MALES HAD BEEN CONFINED FOR 1 MONTH OR LONGER AND 20 PERCENT HAD BEEN INCARCERATED FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT A MAJORITY OF DRUG ABUSE PATIENTS ARE CONSISTENTLY INVOLVED IN PRETREATMENT CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS. MOREOVER, THIS RECORD OF CONSIDERABLE CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT ACTUALLY UNDERESTIMATES THE EXTENT OF CRIMINALITY AMONG THESE ADDICTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE TREATMENT OF PERSISTENT DRUG ABUSERS WILL REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO PENAL REHABILITATION IN ADDITION TO DRUG REHABILITATION. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)