Associations between substance use and type of crime in prisoners with substance use problems – a focus on violence and fatal violence

Figures & data

Table 1 Substance use pattern, previous psychiatric hospitalization, and demographic characteristics in main categories of crime – binary comparisons with violent crime as category of reference (chi-square)

	Violent crime (n=710), n (%)	Drug crime (n=1,331), n (%)	Acquisitive crime (n=1,236), n (%)	Other crime (n=925), n (%)
Problem substance use (>6 months)
Binge drinking	411 (58)	456 (34)***	550 (44)***	499 (54)
Heroin	94 (13)	325 (24)***	334 (27)***	162 (18)*
Other opioids	92 (13)	169 (13)	224 (18)**	138 (15)
Cocaine	89 (13)	256 (19)***	214 (17)**	130 (14)
Amphetamine	377 (53)	879 (66)***	800 (65)***	614 (66)***
Cannabis	418 (59)	836 (63)****	836 (68)***	510 (55)
Sedatives	283 (40)	386 (29)***	525 (42)	304 (33)**
Injecting drug use	284 (40)	726 (55)***	704 (57)***	497 (54)***
Psychiatric hospitalization, ever	126 (18)	147 (11)***	212 (17)	184 (20)
Male gender	653 (92)	1170 (88)**	1130 (91)	835 (90)
Homeless past 30 days prior to incarceration	133 (19)	209 (16)****	346 (28)***	252 (27)***
Mean age (SD)1,2	32.6 (10.18)	35.9 (10.21)***	30.5 (8.41)***	34.7 (9.40)***

Notes:

1 Data missing for age in 11 cases, binge drinking in 65 cases, heroin in 12, other opioids in 27, sedatives in 39, cocaine in 17, amphetamine in 42, cannabis in 46, and injecting drug use in 17 cases, psychiatric hospitalization in 37, homelessness in 22 cases, and gender in 0 case. For all variables, missing data were assumed to be a negative answer, i.e., absence of substance use, hospitalization, and homelessness.

2 Significance of comparison tested with student’s t-test, not assuming normal distribution.

* p<0.05;

** p<0.01;

*** p<0.001;

**** p<0.10.

Table 4 Variables associated with fatal versus non-fatal violent crime: a logistic regression (including only clients sentenced with violent crime)

	Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
Binge drinking1	0.92 (0.64–1.34)
Heroin1	0.52 (0.27–1.01)**
Other opioids1	1.38 (0.78–2.46)
Cocaine1	0.95 (0.54–1.68)
Amphetamine1	0.63 (0.40–0.98)*
Cannabis1	1.02 (0.68–1.52)
Sedatives1	1.48 (0.98–2.22)**
Injecting drug use1	1.04 (0.66–1.64)
Psychiatric hospitalization	1.19 (0.75–1.88)
Male gender	0.95 (0.49–1.82)
Homeless	0.48 (0.27–0.83)*
Age (by year)1	1.02 (1.00–1.04)*

Notes:

1 Substance use variables refer to regular problem use for at least 6 months.

* p<0.05;

** p<0.10.

Table 2 Variables associated with violent crime compared to all other crimes: a logistic regression including all subjects

	Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
Binge drinking1	1.84 (1.55–2.18)*
Heroin1	0.58 (0.45–0.75)*
Other opioids1	0.93 (0.71–1.21)
Cocaine1	0.62 (0.48–0.79)*
Amphetamine1	0.64 (0.52–0.78)*
Cannabis1	0.95 (0.79–1.14)
Sedatives1	1.53 (1.27–1.85)*
Injecting drug use1	0.72 (0.58–0.89)*
Psychiatric hospitalization	1.15 (0.92–1.43)
Male gender	1.23 (0.91–1.66)
Homeless	0.86 (0.69–1.07)
Age (by year)1	1.00 (0.99–1.01)

Notes:

1 Substance use variables refer to regular problem use for at least 6 months.

* p<0.05.

Table 3 Substance use pattern, previous psychiatric hospitalization, and demographic characteristics – binary comparisons of fatal and non-fatal violent crime (chi-square)

	Fatal violence (n=164), n (%)	Non-fatal violence (n=546), n (%)	p-value
Problem substance use (>6 months)
Binge drinking	95 (58)	316 (58)	0.99
Heroin	14 (9)	80 (15)	0.04*
Other opioids	23 (14)	69 (13)	0.64
Cocaine	19 (12)	70 (13)	0.68
Amphetamine	75 (46)	302 (55)	0.03*
Sedatives	71 (43)	212 (39)	0.31
Cannabis	90 (55)	328 (60)	0.24
Injecting drug use	59 (36)	225 (41)	0.23
Psychiatric hospitalization	33 (20)	93 (17)	0.36
Male gender	149 (91)	504 (92)	0.55
Homelessness	18 (11)	115 (21)	<0.01**
Mean age	33.8	32.3	0.10

Notes:

* p<0.05;

** p<0.01.