NCJ Number
142443
Date Published
1992
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on a study of drug use among populations involved in law breaking; drug-use indicators were examined in a sample of felony and misdemeanor arrestees in Omaha, Neb.
Abstract
The study compared selected drug-use indicators among various misdemeanant subpopulations and then compared the misdemeanant subpopulations with those arrested for felonies. Study data were obtained from the self-reports and urinalysis of arrestees who participated in Omaha's Drug Use Forecasting Program. The three urinalysis drug-use indicators were testing positive for marijuana, testing positive for cocaine, and testing positive for any drugs other than marijuana. The self-report drug-use indicators included responses to three interview items that asked arrestees if they had ever tried marijuana, cocaine, or crack; three other self-report indicators were responses to questions about marijuana, cocaine, and crack use within the last 3 days; the other two self-report indicators were whether or not the arrestee had ever used drugs intravenously or had been treated for drug abuse. Generally, the findings indicate considerable similarity on several drug-use indicators among the arrestees regardless of charge category. This suggests that the bulk of those arrested, regardless of offense seriousness, may come from the same criminal or drug-use population. Policy implications of the findings are discussed. 1 table and 14 references