NCJ Number
102063
Date Published
1985
Length
137 pages
Annotation
A total of 200 drug traffickers under Federal probation in the McAllen, Tex., district as of August 1, 1982, were profiled by demographic characteristics and scores on the I, P, and C scores of the Levenson Locus of Control Scale.
Abstract
Offenders were categorized according to whether they trafficked in marijuana, narcotics, or controlled substances. The Levenson Locus of Control Scale measured offenders' beliefs about whether rewards come from one's behavior or from outside influences. The majority of traffickers were convicted of trafficking in marijuana. Locus of control scores for this population indicated most believed their lives to be controlled by chance or luck. Demographic data on offenders were collected from official files. Most were Mexican-American citizens (McAllen is a border town) and males between 24 and 35 years old. They averaged a 10th-grade education, having dropped out of school to support their families. The religious preference of most was Roman Catholic, and they averaged $6,000 to $8,000 annually working as laborers. Further research in this area should assist in designing supervision for various offender types. 32 references, tabular data, and study instrument.