NCJ Number
133390
Date Published
1989
Length
543 pages
Annotation
Data from 1984 and 1987 formed the basis of an analysis of the impact of drug law offenses and offender drug abuse on court caseloads, prison overcrowding, and public safety and a discussion of the implications for future criminal justice policy.
Abstract
The analysis used official records from Dade County (Fla.), Maricopa County (Ariz.), and Boston and included two 4-year and one 18-month followup data set. Results showed that most of the criminal cases studied were drug-related according to the criteria used. In addition, defendants with more extensive criminal histories were more likely than others to be active drug abusers. Moreover, drug-related cases make up a major proportion of inmate populations. Findings also indicated that the relationship between drug-related cases and public safety is complex, although knowledge of drug-related attributes is helpful in assessing the likelihood of future rearrests. Figures, tables, footnotes, and appended tables and reference lists for each volume