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HABITUAL DRUNKENNESS OFFENDER - THE HDHQ (HOSTILITY AND DIRECTION OF HOSTILITY QUESTIONNAIRE) IN PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENTS

NCJ Number
61463
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1979) Pages: 158-163
Author(s)
G B BURNETT
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THE HOSTILITY AND DIRECTION OF HOSTILITY QUESTIONNAIRE (HDHQ) WAS USED TO ASSESS PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HABITUAL DRUNKENNESS OFFENDERS AND OTHER OFFENDERS, USING A SAMPLE FROM A SCOTTISH PRISON.
Abstract
THE SAMPLE WAS DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS. GROUP ONE INCLUDED 34 RECIDIVISTS ARRESTED FOR PUBLIC MISDEMEANORS OTHER THAN DRUNKENNESS. GROUP TWO INCLUDED 20 DRUNKENNESS OFFENDERS WHO HAVE RECEIVED 2 OR LESS SENTENCES FOR DRUNKENNESS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. GROUP THREE INCLUDED 46 HABITUAL DRUNKENNESS OFFENDERS (HDO'S) AS DEFINED BY BURNETT. THE PRISONERS WERE INTERVIEWED 2 TO 4 DAYS AFTER ARREST. COMPARISONS AMONG THE GROUPS AND WITH OTHER POPULATION SHOW THAT HDO'S HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF AFFECTIVE DISTRESS AND CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS 'PERSONALLY ILL DISCORDANT PERSONALITIES.' THE OTHER INMATE GROUPS CAN BE CHARACTERIZED AS 'PERSONALLY DISTURBED PERSONALITY DISORDERS' AND 'PERSONALLY HEALTHY PERSONALITY DISORDERS.' BY DEFINITION, HOWEVER, HBO'S SPENT MORE TIME IN PRISON THAN DID EITHER OF THE OTHER TWO GROUPS. RESULTS THEREFORE INDICATE THAT IMPRISONMENT OFFERS ONLY DETOXIFICATION AND LIMITED TREATMENT FUNCTIONS, BUT IS AN INEFFECTIVE MEANS OF DEALING WITH THE SMALL, RESISTANT GROUP OF RECIDIVISTS. EFFORTS BY AN ALREADY OVERBURDENED PRISON STAFF TO TREAT THESE PEOPLE ARE THEREFORE BEING WASTED. ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS OUTSIDE THE PRISON SYSTEM SHOULD BE DEVELOPED. POSSIBILITIES INCLUDING DETOXIFICATION, WORK-FINDING PROGRAMS, AND HOSTELS RUN ACCORDING TO THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY PRINCIPLES, SHOULD BE MADE MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE. TABLES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)