NCJ Number
163928
Date Published
1997
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This fact sheet presents information from varied sources on drug-related crimes and concludes that drug users are more likely than nonusers to commit crimes, but that it is impossible to say quantitatively how much drugs influence the occurrence of crime.
Abstract
The fact sheet focuses on drug-related offenses and drug-using lifestyles. It reports results of federally sponsored surveys, including the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, the Drug Use Forecasting Program, a survey of State and Federal prisons, and a study of homicides in the 75 most populous counties in the United States. Results reveal that arrestees often test positive for recent drug use and that incarcerated offenders are often under the influence of drugs when they commit their offenses. In addition, offenders often commit offenses to support their drug habits. Moreover, drug trafficking generates violent crime. However, the relationship between drugs and crime is difficult to specify because most crimes result from a variety of factors, the definition of drug-related varies from study to study, and offenders may exaggerate or minimize the relevance of drugs. Homicide statistics illustrate the difficulties in quantifying the drug-crime relationship. Tables and list of 6 references