NCJ Number
202072
Journal
Journal of Crime & Justice Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: 2003 Pages: 117-131
Date Published
2003
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Using urinalysis results and 30-day self-report measures for marijuana, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and heroin use collected in Oklahoma's ADAM program (Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring) in 1999, this study examined whether the "calendar" method for collecting arrestee drug data has enhanced the self-reporting of personal drug use.
Abstract
The "calendar" method of improving self-reported drug use is based on the assumption that recall can be dramatically improved by visually and mentally anchoring memories of certain events (Rubin, 1986). For the ADAM Program, the use of the calendar method assumes that the reporting of personal drug use, treatment history, and criminal justice involvement will be enhanced when recalled in conjunction with more personal events, e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. The ADAM Program first used the calendar method in 2000; however, to date, no studies have evaluated the efficacy of this method among ADAM arrestees. To address this lack, 30-day drug-use data collected in Oklahoma City in 1999 were compared to identical data collected in Oklahoma City in 2000. In addition to 3-day self-report measures, urinalysis results were also obtained. In addition, kappa statistics for marijuana, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and heroin use were generated for each of the two time frames. The findings indicate that, despite virtually identical drug-positive rates within the two samples of arrestees, the introduction of the calendar method in 2000 had no significant effect on the reporting of recent marijuana, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and heroin use. Implications are discussed for the ADAM Program and survey methodology. 2 tables and 20 references