NCJ Number
139676
Journal
International Journal of the Addictions Volume: 27 Issue: 6 Dated: (1992) Pages: 637-647
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A systematic random sample from the New York State's driver's license file was analyzed to examine the gender distribution in the convicted driving while intoxicated and driving while ability impaired (DWI/DWAI) population and the gender differences in recidivism patterns in New York State.
Abstract
Throughout the decade of the 1980s, the convicted drinking driver population was comprised primarily of males, but the proportion of female offenders increased from less than 9 percent at the start of the decade to a steady 13 percent after the mid-1980s. The proportion of male offenders 20 and younger showed a decreasing trend from 13.5 percent in 1980 to 6.3 percent in 1988. The recidivism trend shows that for offenders convicted at the onset of the decade, males repeat at a considerably faster rate than females, but the difference between the recidivism rates by gender becomes smaller for offender groups convicted in later years. Female recidivism rates for offenders convicted in and after the mid-1980s parallel and at times surpass those of male offenders. Several factors may be responsible for the changing DWI/DWAI structure including the impact of the 21 year old alcohol purchase age law and the change of women's roles and lifestyles. 4 figures, 2 tables, and 20 references