Pre- and Posthospitalization Alcoholic Arrests in a Rural State

Abstract

Arrest rates of 180 male alcoholics admitted to the Wyoming State Hospital in 1969 were compared with the general Wyoming population during 1965–1973. Results indicated: (1) 67% of the alcoholics had no arrests before or after hospitalization; (2) prehospitalization arrest rates of alcoholics were higher than the general population for robbery, assault, sex offenses, theft, public intoxication, drunk driving, traffic offenses, and vagrancy; (3) following hospitalization, alcoholic arrest rates were reduced significantly in all categories except robbery and embezzlement and fraud; and (4) posthospitalization alcoholic arrest rates were lower than the general population for all offenses except robbery, public intoxication, and DWI.