NCJ Number
139736
Date Published
1992
Length
55 pages
Annotation
Data obtained from the computerized case files for all adult arrestees maintained by the Pretrial Services Agency in Washington, D.C., and dated between July 1985 and June 1986, were used to characterize the violent offending patterns of drug users and nonusers. Each arrest record includes information on the date of arrest, drug test result, charges, time served in pretrial detention, disposition, and sentence length.
Abstract
Two main types of causal relationships between drugs and violence were examined: pharmacological effects and structural effects arising from the nature of illegal drug markets. Arrestees were characterized as depressant drug users, stimulant drug users, dual users, and nonusers. The influence of drug use on the subjects' participation in crime, frequency of offending, and termination rate were analyzed. The findings showed that, while drug use inhibited participation in crime, it elevated the frequency of violent offenses for those offenders who did commit violent crimes. It appeared that drug use also discouraged termination. Effects were distinguished among the different types of drugs. For example, depressants were associated with elevated offending frequency, lower participation, and lower termination rates. The author suggests that offenders' drug use should be considered an aggravating factor in public safety considerations when making release and sentencing decisions for identified drug- using violent offenders. 10 tables, 1 figure, 3 appendixes, and 33 references