PUBLIC DRUG TREATMENT AND ADDICT CRIME

• NCJ Number: 35280
• Author(s): P STOLOFF; D B LEVINE; N SPRUILL
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 55 pages
• Grant Number(s): H81-DA-01624-01
• Corporate Author: Public Research Institute
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY, INTENDED TO HELP IN THE EVALUATION OF TREATMENT POLICY, SHOWS THAT PUBLIC DRUG TREATMENT (METHADONE MAINTENANCE) IN DETROIT HAS LED, OVER A RECENT FOUR YEAR PERIOD, TO A REDUCTION IN PROPERTY CRIME.

Abstract

TO MEASURE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TREATMENT AND CRIME, THE AUTHORS MEASURED THE MONTHLY NUMBER OF PROPERTY OFFENSES REPORTED TO THE DETROIT POLICE, AND RELATED THIS TIME SERIES TO MONTHLY ENROLLMENTS IN ALL DETROIT DRUG TREATMENT CENTERS, THE PRICE OF HEROIN, AND OTHER VARIABLES THAT AFFECT THE LEVEL OF CRIME. THE MAJOR FINDINGS ARE THAT A 1.0 PERCENT INCREASE IN TREATMENT ENROLLMENT IS ASSOCIATED WITH A 0.23 PERCENT DECREASE IN PROPERTY CRIME, AND THAT A 1.0 PERCENT RISE IN HEROIN PRICE IS ACCOMPANIED BY A 0.16 PERCENT RISE IN CRIME. THREE SUPPORTING ANALYSES ON RELATED TOPICS WERE ALSO CARRIED OUT. THE FIRST EXAMINES HOW MUCH MUTUAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE VARIABLES BIASED THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE CRIME-TREATMENT-PRICE RELATIONSHIPS USING THE ABOVE PROCEDURE. THE SECOND SUPPORTING ANALYSIS DEALS WITH THE QUESTION OF HOW TO INDUCE ADDICTS TO ENTER TREATMENT, ASSUMING THE DESIRABILITY OF DOING SO. FINALLY, URINALYSIS DATA IS EXAMINED TO OBTAIN A DIRECT MEASURE OF HEROIN USE BY TREATMENT CLIENTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)