NCJ Number
144198
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 21 Issue: 3 Dated: (1993) Pages: 223-230
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The validity of offender reports of illegal drug use has been challenged with data from the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program showing large discrepancies between arrestee self- reports of cocaine use and the results of urine tests; the under-reporting of drug use within populations, however, does not invalidate self-reports as indicators of drug use across populations if the ratio between self-reports and more objective indicators is reasonably stable.
Abstract
The present study used cross-sectional data from 13 DUF sites and longitudinal data from the St. Louis DUF program. Cross-city and longitudinal analyses both demonstrated a strong relationship between self-reports and urine tests for recent cocaine use by male arrestees that held up under alternative model specifications and sample configurations. If the current results are reproduced in subsequent research, they may have wide application in criminal justice settings and may reduce reliance on drug testing to estimate drug use. Further, additional research may gauge the extent of drug- related problems and the need for drug prevention and treatment programs in institutional and community correctional settings and also among pretrial detainees. The critical question facing criminal justice policymakers is not whether to engage in drug testing but rather how much testing is minimally necessary to meet the treatment needs of offenders, the security needs of criminal justice agencies, and public safety requirements. 13 references, 6 notes, 2 tables, and 2 figures