NCJ Number
123710
Journal
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Volume: 12 Issue: 2/3 Dated: (1989) Pages: 133-148
Date Published
1989
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examines the interactions of alcoholism, drug use, and antisocial personality in predicting criminal activity among a large, random sample of male detainees in the Cook County Jail (Illinois).
Abstract
The facility is used for pretrial detention and for offenders sentenced for less than 1 year incarceration for misdemeanors. Data were collected between November 1983 and November 1984. Diagnostic assessments of the three disorders were made using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Criminal history data were obtained from police department records. Initially, a descriptive analysis focused on the relationships between diagnostic profile and criminality. This was followed by a formal multivariate analysis of covariance to test the impact of the diagnostic profile on criminal activity. Alcohol was not related to any of the criminality variables once controlling for co-disorder and age. Regarding the drug-crime relationship, even when all drug-related arrests were deleted from the criminality variables, drug disorders were linked with both felony property crimes and minor crime; drug disorders were not predictive of violent prior crimes. Antisocial disorder was related to felony property crimes, minor crimes, and violent crime. Implications are drawn for the assessment of the likelihood of recidivism and for future research. 3 tables, 74 references.