NCJ Number
116507
Date Published
1987
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Following a discussion of the relationship between substance abuse, particularly alcohol abuse, and crime, Probation Service initiatives for problem-drinking clients in England and Wales are described.
Abstract
Alcohol-related offenses include those against licensing laws, those related to behavioral effects of alcohol, public drunkenness and driving under the influence, and offenses related to alcohol problems but not committed while intoxicated. Recent studies document the high incidence of alcohol involvement in crime and the large percentage of probation caseloads that consists of problem drinkers. Moves away from the disease model of alcohol problems to models which view alcohol abuse as a learned behavior capable of being changed have provided encouragement for probation officers working with drinking clients. In recognizing a client's drinking problem, probation officers must develop a relationship of mutual trust so that drinking can be openly discussed. Probation officers should assess the events leading to drinking occasions, factors in the drinking situation, and the consequences of drinking and how it relates to the person's life and other problems. Probation Service initiatives have included alcohol education groups, specialized alcohol groups for drunk driving offenders and those with more serious or multiple problems, detoxification services, emergency accommodations, day center provisions, supportive long-term accommodations, compulsory use of the drug Antabuse, and new approaches in custodial settings. Probation services now need to become more active in the field of prevention and in management tasks such as training and service development and coordination. With increased availability and use of drugs, probation officers also will have to familiarize themselves with the management of drug-using offenders. 10 tables and 57 references.