An Examination of the Relationship between Crime and Substance Use in a Drug/Alcohol Treatment Population

Abstract

This study identifies the patterns of criminal activity among 1,544 members of a drug/alcohol treatment population. A sizable number of the members have a history of involvement in crime. Most of the involvement is in the area of victimless crimes such as narcotics posession, disorderly conduct, and drunkenness. Person, property, and victimless crimes are moderately intercorrelated. The relationships between patterns of criminal activity and drug/alcohol usage are also examined. Person crimes and victimless crimes are less likely to be committed under the influence of drugs than under the influence of alcohol. Property crimes are more likely to be committed to support a drug/alcohol addiction than are person or victimless crimes. While it is true that a majority of arrested addicts or alcoholics began their criminal behavior before they began using drugs on a regular basis, the fact that a large portion of them started using a substance during the same year as they launched their criminal careers or in previous years cannot be ignored. While there is no relationship between the extent of drug/alcohol use and criminal behavior, the type of drug, especially when considered in conjunction with the age, race, and sex of the individual, is partially associated with crime.