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Insights Into the Relationship Between Drug Usage and Crime Derived From a Study of Arrestees (From Drug Use and Crime Report of the Panel on Drug Use and Criminal Behavior, P 387-407, 1976 - See NCJ-40293)

NCJ Number
70669
Author(s)
W C Eckerman; W K Poole; J V Rachal; R L Hubbard
Date Published
1976
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Part of the appendix to the Drug Use and Crime Report, the paper presents the findings of a study exploring the relationship between crime and drug use in a population of 1,800 male arrestees in six U.S. Metropolitan areas.
Abstract
The jail populations were off-the-street arrestees excluding those arrested for minor charges such as motor vehicle violations or drunk driving. Data were collected through personal interviews, regional and national drug registers, and urinalysis to detect heroin, cocaine, methadone, amphetamines, and barbiturates. The study examined the distribution of current charges for a group of arrestees identified as drug users through the use of multiple measures compared with the distribution of arrest charges for nonusers for whom there was no evidence of drug use. Analyses of the data showed that drug users were less often arrested for serious crimes against the person than nonusers. A chi square test applied to the data supported this finding by showing significant differences in serious arrests against the person. All significant differences showed drug users arrested more often for property crimes. No evidence was found to indicate drug users were disproportionately involved in serious crimes against the person (assaults). Such patterns were found among polydrug users who used either stimulants and depressants, or stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens. More data employing multiple means of detecting drug usage and an analysis of the relationship to criminal behavior are needed. More emphasis should be placed on examining the relationship between crime and poly-drug usage, particularly excessive use of legal drug substances. Since the drug milieu changes rapidly with the introduction of new types of drugs or new usages, extensive monitoring is needed to identify changes when they occur. Seven references and nine tables are included.

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