NCJ Number
61987
Date Published
1979
Length
38 pages
Annotation
THE REPORT EXPLORES SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IDAHO ALCOHOLISM AND INTOXICATION TREATMENT ACT AS RELATED TO POLICE PERFORMANCE AND PERCEPTIONS ON THE USE OF THE DETOXIFICATION CENTER.
Abstract
THE LAW OFFERED THE DETOXIFICATION CENTER AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE DRUNK TANK. THE EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE LAW IS A RESULT OF A GRADUATE SEMINAR ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY. STUDENTS PROPOSED, DESIGNED, CONDUCTED, AND AUTHORED A PROJECT ON THE IMPLICATIONS, OPERATION, AND IMPACT OF THE DETOXIFICATION CENTER. DATA WERE COLLECTED BY INTERVIEWING DETOX STAFF MEMBERS, POLICE REFERRALS TO DETOX, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, AND HOSPITALS. PERSONAL FILES AT DETOX CENTERS AND LOCAL JAIL RECORDS WERE ALSO EXAMINED. THE PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO ELICIT POLICE ATTITUDES AND POSSIBLE BEHAVIORS ABOUT PUBLIC DRUNKENESS AND THE LAW ITSELF. TWO DIFFERENT POLICE DEPARTMENT JURISDICTIONS WERE USED, ONE WITH A SMALL DETOX CENTER AND ONE WITH A LARGE, ELABORATE COMPLEX. METHODOLOGICAL ERRORS MADE IN DESIGNING THE PROJECT ARE RECOUNTED. THE QUESTIONNAIRE ASKED ABOUT SAFETY, COMMUNITY RELATIONS, THE REVOLVING DOOR SYNDROME, AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES. STUDY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THERE ARE THREE MAIN POLICE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE DETOXIFICATION CENTERS: SOME WERE SUPPORTIVE, SOME RESERVED JUDGMENT, AND OTHERS WERE ANGERED BY THE NEW LEGAL POLICY. THE LATTER USUALLY HELD A LEGALISTIC VIEW OF ALCOHOLICS, BELIEVING THAT IT WAS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE. THE OFFICERS SUBSCRIBING TO THE 'MEDICAL MODEL' TENDED TO BE MORE SUPPORTIVE. THE DATA SUGGEST THAT OFFICERS BASE THEIR DECISIONS UPON PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. THERE SEEM TO BE MISPERCEPTIONS AMONG OFFICERS ABOUT THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE DETOX CENTERS. A BRIEF EVALUATION OF THE MEDICAL AND LEGALISTIC MODELS IN RELATION TO USE OF THE CENTERS IS GIVEN, WITH THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE CENTERS COULD ACCOMPLISH. THE POLICE ATTITUDE OF MISTRUST CONCERNING THE 'HELPING PROFESSIONS' IS ALSO EXPLORED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM MIGHT BE WORKED OUT FOR OFFICERS AND DETOX STAFF MEMBERS. THROUGH A WORK EXCHANGE PROGRAM, EACH MIGHT BECOME MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THE OTHER'S WORK AND PROBLEMS. EVEN OFFICERS OPPOSED TO THE DETOX CENTERS DO AGREE WITH THE BASIC GOAL: THE REDUCTION OF PUBLIC INTOXICATION. TABLES SUMMARIZING THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND A BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY COMPLETE THE TEXT. (RFC)