NCJ Number
67485
Journal
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Volume: 5 Dated: (1980) Pages: 311-319
Date Published
1980
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADDICTION AND PRETRIAL PERFORMANCE WAS STUDIED TO DISCOVER WHETHER UNSUPERVISED, UNTREATED ADDICTS ARE POOR BOND RISKS.
Abstract
MANY JURISDICTIONS HAVE IMPOSED SPECIAL RESTRICTIVE BAIL CONDITIONS UPON THE BAIL AGREEMENTS OF ADDICT DEFENDANTS ON THE UNPROVEN ASSUMPTION THAT APPROPRIATE REMEDIAL CONDITIONS OF RELEASE (E.G., SUPERVISED DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT) WILL IMPROVE PRETRIAL RELEASE PERFORMANCE. TO DETERMINE THE VALIDITY OF THIS ASSUMPTION, THE PRETRIAL RELEASE PERFORMANCE OF THREE GROUPS WERE EXAMINED: (1) ADDICT DEFENDANTS WITHOUT TREATMENT SUPERVISON, (2) ADDICT DEFENDANTS INVOLVED IN A SUPERVISED DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM (THE TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME, TASC, PROJECT IN DENVER), AND (3) NONADDICT, UNSUPERVISED FELONY DEFENDANTS. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT, MEASURED IN TERMS OF APPEARANCE AT SCHEDULED COURT PROCEEDINGS, THE UNSUPERVISED, UNTREATED ADDICT DEFENDANTS WERE POORER BOND RISKS THAN THE NONADDICT FELONY DEFENDANTS, BUT THAT THE COURT APPEARANCE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUPERVISED, TREATED ADDICTS WAS EQUIVALENT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF NONADDICTS. REARREST DATA SHOWED VIRTUALLY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS FOR NONDRUG OFFENSES, ALTHOUGH THE ADDICT GROUPS BOTH DISPLAYED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER OVERALL REARREST RATES. THE STUDY IS LIMITED BY THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, THE SELECTION TECHNIQUE, AND THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF TREATMENT RECORDS WHICH HINDERED RIGOROUS INSPECTION. NEVERTHELESS, THE DATA DO LEND SUPPORT TO THE PROPONENTS OF TASC-TYPE ADDICT DIVERSION PROGRAMS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).