NCJ Number
96213
Date Published
1984
Length
106 pages
Annotation
Alcohol use by offenders convicted of violent crimes in New Zealand is examined in a 20-month study. The sample of 582 violent offenders comprised all those convicted and sentenced in a local urban court as well as those remanded to the supreme court from the magistrates court.
Abstract
The period covered was from July 31, 1978, to March 28, 1980. Data came from police files, presentence reports, interviews with offenders, and observations in court and on police patrol. Only 167 of the 582 offenders were interviewed. Findings revealed that young males clearly predominated the study sample; only 5.2 percent of the offenders were female, and almost 75 percent of the offenders were under 25 years old. The majority of the offenders regarded their offending as the result of spontaneous rather than premeditated action. Only 10 percent of those interviewed admitted that their violence had been carried out with forethought, and these cases mainly comprised acts of retribution, particularly by gang members. Of the 167 interviewed offenders, 82 percent named the pub as one of their main drinking places; more than 55 percent went to the pub 4 or more times per week, generally on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. At least 42 percent admitted getting drunk 1 or more times per week; some respondents indicated that their pub's atmosphere and their companions' attitudes were important in determining their behavior. A strong association between the incidence of violence and the consumption of alcohol is reported. Footnotes, 44 references, 16 tables, and a classification list of offenses are included.