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Health Associations of Drug-Involved and Criminal-Justice-Involved Adults in the United States

NCJ Number
246647
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2014 Pages: 318-336
Author(s)
Michael G. Vaughn; Christopher P. Salas-wright; Matt Delisi; Alex R. Piquero
Date Published
March 2014
Length
19 pages
Annotation

A burgeoning criminological literature has identified important intersections between public health, crime, and antisocial behavior.

Abstract

A burgeoning criminological literature has identified important intersections between public health, crime, and antisocial behavior. This study is based on public-use data collected between 2006 and 2010 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health NSDUH and an analytical sample of men N = 84,054 and women N = 95,308 between the ages of 18 and 64. Latent class analysis LCA identified three classes: a large normative group, a small drug-involved group, and a criminal-justice-involved group. Chronic health conditions that are more closely associated with longer term medical problems and perhaps cumulative stress such as heart disease and diabetes are not linked to criminal-justice-system-involved or drug-involved offenders. Medical problems that are more closely related to an antisocial lifestyle such as sexually transmitted diseases, pancreatitis, and hepatitis were found to be more prevalent among antisocial subgroups in this sample. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage.