PADDING THE REVOLVING DOOR - AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE UNIFORM ALCOHOLISM AND INTOXICATION TREATEMENT ACT IN PRACTICE

• NCJ Number: 55187
• Journal: Social Problems Volume: 26 Issue: 2 Dated: (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 232-246
• Author(s): R W FAGAN; A L MAUSS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: Soc for the Study of Social Problems
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE 1978 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Annotation

THE EFFECTS OF ADOPTING THE MODEL UNIFORM ALCOHOLISM AND INTOXIFICATION TREATEMENT ACT ON CLIENT RECIDIVISM ARE ASSESSED, USING KING COUNTY (SEATTLE, WASH.) POLICE RECORDS AND DATA FROM THE COUNTY'S DETOXIFICATION CENTER.

Abstract

THE ACT, ACTUALLY A PROPOSAL BY THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMMISSIONERS ON UNIFORM STATE LAWS, RAISES IMPORTANT THEORY AND POLICY QUESTIONS. BECAUSE THE ACT IS PARTLY A MOVE TOWARD OFFICIAL MEDICALIZATION AND DECRIMINALIZATION OF PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS, IT RAISES A THEORETICAL QUESTION ABOUT THE APPLICABILITY OF THE 'SICK ROLE' TO PUBLIC INEBRIATES. IT ALSO RAISES POLICY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DIFFERENTIAL EFFICACY OF A MEDICAL VERSUS CRIMINAL APPROACH TO THE SOCIAL CONTROL OF PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS. BASED ON A BEFORE-AND-AFTER ANALYSIS OF AVAILABLE DATA, MANY OF THE INTENTIONS OF THE ACT SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN REALIZED: (1) BASICALLY THE SAME CLIENTS THAT USED TO BE PROCESSED BY THE POLICE ARE NOW BEING PROCESSED THROUGH THE DETOXIFICATION CENTER; (2) THIS CLIENTELE CONTINUES TO BE PRIMARILY FROM SKID ROW; (3) THE CLIENTS ARE BEING HANDLED PRIMARILY BY CIVILIAN PATROLS, RATHER THAN BY THE POLICE, ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL LEVEL OF SOCIAL CONTROL ACTIVITY ON SKID ROW, FROM BOTH SOURCES, REMAINS ABOUT THE SAME. HOWEVER, THE MOST IMPORTANT EXPECTATION OF THE ACT, A DECLINE IN THE CLASSICAL 'REVOLVING DOOR' PATTERN, IS NOT BEING REALIZED. IN FACT, THE TRANSITION FROM POLICE LOCKUP TO DETOXIFICATION-CENTER PROCESSING HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY A FOUR-FOLD INCREASE IN RECIDIVISM, AND ONLY A SMALL PROPORTION OF THE DETOXIFICATION CLIENTS ARE ACCEPTING REFERRAL TO TREATMENT PROGRAMS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--KBL)