CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF FEMALE ADDICTS - A COMPARISON OF FINDINGS IN TWO CITIES (FROM DRUG ABUSE MODERN TRENDS, ISSUES, AND PERSPECTIVES, 1978, BY ARNOLD SCHECTER ET AL - SEE NCJ-48582)

• NCJ Number: 48591
• Author(s): J C WEISSMAN; K N FILE
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: Marcel Dekker, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE 2ND NATIONAL DRUG ABUSE CONFERENCE, NEW ORLEANS (LA), 1975

Annotation

A STUDY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS OF DRUG-ADDICTED FEMALE ARRESTEES IN PHILADELPHIA, PA., IS REPLICATED IN DENVER, COLO., AND FINDINGS ARE COMPARED.

Abstract

EACH STUDY DOCUMENTED THE AGE, RACE, AND CRIMINAL RECORD OF 227 CONSECUTIVELY ARRESTED DRUG ADDICTED FEMALES. DATA FROM BOTH CITIES SHOW THAT THE COMMON BELIEF THAT MOST FEMALE ADDICTS ARE PROSTITUTES IS INACCURATE: ONLY 40 PERCENT OF THE PHILADELPHIA SUBJECTS AND 33 PERCENT OF THE DENVER SUBJECTS HAD EVER BEEN ARRESTED FOR PROSTITUTION. A FURTHER HYPOTHESIS -- THAT FEMALE ADDICTS COULD BE DIVIDED INTO THOSE WHO ARE PROSTITUTES AND THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES -- IS ALSO DISCOUNTED. DATA FROM BOTH CITIES INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF FOUR DISTINCT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS AMONG FEMALE ADDICTS: PROSTITUTE; PROSTITUTE/CRIMNAL; CRIMINAL; AND BAG FOLLOWER (FEMALES WITH DEPENDENT POSITIONS WITHIN THE ADDICT SUBCULTURE WHO DO NOT 'HUSTLE'). THE FINDINGS ALSO REVEAL AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RACE AND THE INCIDENCE OF PROSTITUTION ARRESTS IN BOTH CITIES; BLACK ADDICTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALL OFFENSES THAN EITHER WHITE OR HISPANIC ADDICTED FEMALES. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)