NCJ Number
158963
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (1972) Pages: 57-64
Date Published
1972
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Because both professional and popular literature has referred to the extensive criminal involvement of drug addicts but the amount of drug addict crime has been estimated based on inadequate official criminal statistics or on speculation, a methodological strategy was developed to obtain self-reported information on drug addict crime.
Abstract
Subjects interviewed to collect data on drug abuse patterns were primarily young adults with a median age of 20 years; 84 percent of males and 77 percent of females were either black or Puerto Rican. Preliminary data indicated that 6,766 alleged offenses were committed by 38 male addicts over a median period of 4 years and that 6,425 alleged offenses were committed by 32 female addicts over a median period of 3 years. Further, data suggested that only one crime was cleared by arrest for every 120 offenses committed. The authors conclude that crime rates among specific population groups may be much higher than rates reflected in official criminal statistics. 7 references and 3 tables