NCJ Number
113313
Journal
The International Journal of the Addictions Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: (1987), 153-165
Date Published
1987
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Confidential interviews were conducted between May 1983 and April 1984 with male narcotics addicts from Baltimore and New York City to determine whether certain preaddiction characteristics are related to the types and amounts of crime they commit subsequent to their addiction.
Abstract
The study sample consisted of 50 black and 50 white male outpatients at 5 methadone maintenance/detoxification centers in Baltimore and 50 black, 50 white, and 50 Hispanic outpatients selected from consecutive admissions to a single-large-capacity methadone maintenance/detoxification center in New York City. Postaddiction crime rates among narcotic (principally heroin) addicts in 5 different areas (theft, violence, dealing, confidence games, and other crime) were found to be substantially related to a number of preaddiction characteristics, especially criminal activity and drug and alcohol use prior to addiction to narcotics. Early family influences such as lack of religious training, history of parents, arrest, and use of drugs and alcohol by other family members also appear to play an important role. Early identification of extremely crime-prone individuals followed by intensive intervention efforts might reduce the amounts of crime such persons might otherwise commit. (Author abstract modified).