NCJ Number
175547
Date Published
1997
Length
8 pages
Annotation
After reviewing research on the relationship between alcohol and crime, this paper examines issues pertinent to the treatment of alcohol-abusing offenders in institutions and in the community.
Abstract
Research indicates that both within correctional institutions and in community-based correctional programs, there are substantial numbers of offenders with alcohol-related problems and for whom alcohol consumption and crime are associated; however, an association or correlation between two variables does not in itself prove that there is a causal relationship. There are three possible types of association between alcohol and criminal behavior: drinking directly leads to offending; offending leads to drinking; and the two coexist but are not causally related. A common response to the problem of the drinking offender is to offer some form of intervention that will help the offender overcome his/her drinking problems and assist in giving up a life of crime. Although institutional programs provide an opportunity for structured programs designed to produce behavioral change, they cannot provide the real-life situations the inmate must face upon release. Community-based alcoholism treatment programs allow the practitioner to use the full range of techniques, including those that involve the controlled use of alcohol; and they can focus on how the drinking behavior is related to interactions and stresses in the real world. Disadvantages of community-based treatment are that real- world pressures may prevent offenders from developing the resources necessary to address drinking problems. This paper also identifies and discusses various types of resistance to intervention, including client resistance, organizational resistance, and public resistance. 21 references