ALCOHOLISM AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE POPULATION

• NCJ Number: 11486
• Author(s): G G PAVLOFF
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 18 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. PAPER PRESENTED AT NCAE SEMINAR ON ALCOHOLISM WITHIN THE CRIM JUST SYST, ARLINGTON, VA, OCT 18-19, 1973

Annotation

SURVEYS OF CORRECTIONAL POPULATIONS REVEAL A PROPORTION OF ALCOHOL PROBLEMS AMONG OFFENDERS HIGHER THAN AMONG THE GENERAL OFFENDERS.

Abstract

A STUDY OF TOTAL ARRESTS IN THE U.S. IN 1970 SHOWS THAT 43 PERCENT WERE FOR ALCOHOL RELATED OFFENSES SUCH AS DRUNKENNESS, LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION, DRUNKEN DRIVING, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, AND VAGRANCY. STUDIES CITED INDICATE THAT AMONG THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE POPULATION, EVEN AFTER EXCLUDING THE PUBLIC INEBRIATE AND THE DRINKING DRIVER, THOSE WITH DRINKING PROBLEMS CONSTITUTE A CONSIDERABLE MINORITY. STATISTICS ARE PRESENTED TO SHOW STRONG RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ALCOHOL ABUSE AND THE FOLLOWING CRIMES -- HOMICIDE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, AND SEXUAL OFFENSES. ROBBERY IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR INDEX CRIMES DESIGNATED AS VIOLENT IN WHICH ALCOHOL SHOWS MINIMAL INVOLVEMENT. THE STUDIES CITED SHOW THE NEED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE WIDESPREAD ALCOHOLISM SCREENING, TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS WITH CONTROLLED EVALUATION COMPONENTS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF SUCH TREATMENT FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE POPULATION.