NCJ Number
60122
Journal
International Journal of the Addictions Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: (1978) Pages: 415-425
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
DEMOGRAPHIC AND OTHER CORRELATES OF ALCOHOL-RELATED ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS DURING 1975 IN 23 WYOMING COUNTIES ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
ARREST AND CONVICTION RATES FOR PUBLIC INTOXICATION, DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED, AND LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS WERE CORRELATED WITH COUNTY POPULATION, POPULATION CHANGE, LIQUOR SALES, NUMBER OF LAW OFFICERS, INDIAN POPULATION, AND CRIME RATE. POPULATION INCREASES BETWEEN 1970 AND 1974 WERE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASES IN LIQUOR SALES BUT NOT WITH INCREASES IN ALCOHOL-RELATED ARRESTS. HIGHER RATES OF ALCOHOL-RELATED ARRESTS GENERALLY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LARGER POPULATION SIZE AND HIGHER CRIME RATES. ALCOHOL ARREST RATES WERE NOT RELATED TO PER-CAPITA AVAILABILITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. COUNTIES WITH LARGE INDIAN POPULATIONS HAD HIGHER ARREST RATES FOR PUBLIC INTOXICATION AND LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS, BUT NOT FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED. CONVICTION RATES WERE NOT RELATED TO THE SIZE OF THE INDIAN POPULATION. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE FORMAL LEGAL COMPLICATIONS RESULTING FROM ALCOHOL USE SHOULD FOCUS PRIMARILY ON MORE DENSELY POPULATED AREAS, SINCE ARREST RATES ARE HIGHER IN SUCH AREAS THAN MIGHT BE EXPECTED ON THE BASIS OF RELATIVE LEVELS OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN DENSELY AND SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS. THE FINDING THAT THE ALCOHOL ARREST RATE BUT NOT THE LEVEL OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION WAS UNUSUALLY HIGH AMONG INDIANS SUGGESTS THAT PROGRAMS DIRECTED TO INDIANS SHOULD SEEK TO MODIFY THE TIME, PLACE, AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES OF THEIR DRINKING IN ORDER TO REDUCE LEGAL COMPLICATIONS. THE GENERALLY HIGH CONVICTION RATE FOR ALCOHOL OFFENSES SUGGESTS THAT SEVERE DISPOSITIONS CANNOT CONTROL PROBLEM DRINKING. A SUMMARY OF THE METHODS AND FINDINGS OF RELATED STUDIES, TABLES, AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)