AN ANALYSIS OF 400 ARREST HISTORIES BASED ON THE FREQUENCY OF CRIMINAL CHARGES IN EACH CASE LED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF FOUR GENERAL CLASSES: SINGLE PATTERN OFFENDERS -- THOSE WHOSE ARREST HISTORIES SHOWED A HIGH FREQUENCY OF ONE KIND OF CRIMINAL CHARGE; MULTIPLE PATTERN OFFENDERS -- THOSE WHOSE HISTORIES SHOWED TWO OR MORE SINGLE PATTERNS; MIXED PATTERN OFFENDERS -- THOSE WHOSE ARREST HISTORIES SHOWED NO SINGLE PATTERN OF CHARGE TYPES; AND NO PATTERN -- THOSE WHOSE HISTORIES SHOWED LESS THAN THREE ARRESTS. THE FINAL RESULT WAS A TYPOLOGY OF 13 CRIME PATTERNS: SINGLE PATTERNS OF ROBBERY, NARCOTIC DRUG LAW OFFENSES, GAMBLING, BURGLARY, SEX OFFENSES, CONFIDENCE GAMES, AUTO THEFT, AND CHECK FORGERY; DOUBLE PATTERNS OF LARCENY AND BURGLARY AND OF ASSAULT AND DRUNKENNESS; TRIPLE PATTERN OF DRUNKENNESS, ASSAULT, AND LARCENY; AND MIXED PATTERN AND NO PATTERN. ON THE BASIS OF FREQUENCY OF CRIMINAL CHARGES IN THE ARREST HISTORIES, 50 OF THE 400 OFFENDERS WERE CLASSED AS NARCOTICS OFFENDERS. A COMPARISON BETWEEN THIS GROUP AND THE NONNARCOTIC OFFENDERS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES ON A VARIETY OF PERSONALITY, ATTITUDE, AND SOCIAL HISTORY BACKGROUNDS. THE DRUG OFFENDERS, UNLIKE OTHER OFFENDERS, WERE CRIMINALS BY VIRTUE OF THEIR DRUG ADDICTION. AS A GROUP, THEY WERE YOUNGER, MORE LITERATE, AND MORE INTELLIGENT THAN OTHER OFFENDERS. THEY WERE LESS LIKELY TO COME FROM DISORGANIZED FAMILY BACKGROUNDS, AND THEIR CHILDHOOD ADJUSTMENTS IN SCHOOLS, THE COMMIUNITY, AND AT HOME WERE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE INVOLVED FORMAL SANCTIONS. THEY WERE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN ADJUDICATED DELINQUENTS, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ADULT CRIMINAL COMPANIONS PRIOR TO THE 18TH BIRTHDAY. THEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN DELINQUENT OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS ALONE. MANY WERE REARED BY DOMINANT MOTHERS WHO PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PASSIVE-DEPENDENT PERSONALITY FOUND IN THESE OFFENDERS. MOST WERE INTRODUCED TO DRUGS, USUALLY HEROIN, BY ADDICTED COMPANIONS. OVER HALF OF THE DRUG OFFENDERS WERE MUSICIANS, AND ALL STATED THAT LISTENING TO JAZZ WAS ONE OF THEIR MAJOR FORMS OF RECREATION. VIRTUALLY ALL EXPRESSED A DISTASTE FOR ALCOHOL, AND MOST TURNED TO ILLEGAL METHOD, USUALLY PETTY CRIMES, OUT OF A NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR HABITS. (JAP)