Vol.19 No.24 - Inmates Claim Drugs, Alcohol Leading Causes of Crime - Say Treatment Can Help Cut Crime

Sep 29, 2026

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Study of 589 Ohio prison inmates serving sentences for property crimes links drug and alcohol use to criminal motivation. Inmates reported 20% committing crimes to get money for drugs or alcohol and 16% committing crimes under their influence, totaling 36%. Drugs ranked highest among social and economic factors, with unemployment and alcohol next, and desire for pleasure rated very important. High-volume offenders were especially likely to cite drugs and alcohol, with over one-third motivated primarily by them.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages11

Reading Time28 min

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INMATES CLAIM DRUGS,ALCOHOLLEADING CAUSES OF CRIME

Say Treatment Can Help Cut Crime

PENNSYLVANIA PAROLE DRUGOFFENDER PROGRAM FEATUREDIN DEC.4 ABC-TV SPECIAL

CORRECTIONS DIGEST

WAVE OF BRAZIL PRISON KILLINGSLAID TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS

TEXAS AWARDS WACKENHUTCONTRACT TO RUN DETENTIONCENTER FOR PAROLE VIOLATORS

AMERICAN JAIL ASSOCIATIONDEVELOPS MONTHLY ROLLCALLTRAINING BULLETIN PROGRAM

Vol.19 No.24 Ohio Study... ## INMATES CLAIM DRUGS,ALCOHOLLEADING CAUSES OF CRIME Say Treatment Can Help Cut Crime More property criminals are driven to crimeby drugs and alcohol than any other factor,accord-ing to a study of 589 prison inmates serving sen-tences for property crimes in Ohio. In the study,The Figgie Report Part V-The Business of Crime:The Criminal Perspec-tive,the offenders were asked what their mainreason was for committing property crimes.One-fifth(20 percent)answered“to get money fordrugs or alcohol,”and 16 percent said they were"under the influence of drugs or alcohol"at thetime of the crime.In other words,a total of 36percent cited drugs or alcohol as their motivationto commit crime —nearly twice the number thatlisted“to get money for my own expenses,”thenext most popular response. The inmates were also asked to rate theimportance of various social and economic factorsin property crime,and drugs received the highestscore,followed by unemployment and alcohol."Desire for pleasure(sex,drugs,alcohol)"wasalso rated as very important. The Figgie Report also said that a substantialnumber of high-volume offenders cited drugs andalcohol as the main reasons they committed crime.Of all the inmates who said they committed six ormore crimes in the year prior to their conviction,more than one-third were primarily motivated bydrugs and alcohol. (See PROPERTY CRIMINALS,page seven) November 30,1988 IN THIS ISSUE OHIO INMATES:Say Drug.Alcohol TreatmentThe Most Effective Programs For Them… …1WACKENHUT:Wins Texas Contract……… …2BRAZIL:Prison Killings Increase… …2AJA:Offers Training Bulletins. … …2MAINE:Envelope Marking Program Upheld …3CIVIL SUITS:Feds Get Shield Law.…… …4AIDS CARRIERS:Criminal Sanctions Increasing……5MASSACHUSETTS:“Check's In The Mail”… …5IDAHO:Boy Jailed For Smoking.………… …6 N.J.,WV:Murderers Flee Prisons……… ………9 ## PENNSYLVANIA PAROLE DRUGOFFENDER PROGRAM FEATUREDIN DEC.4 ABC-TV SPECIAL “Trackdown”focuses on the war on drugs in onePhiladelphia neighborhood,spearheaded by an experi-mental Intensive Drug Unit of the Pennsylvania parolesystem,Sunday,Dee.4(8:00-9:00 p.m,ET),on theABC Television Network.This is the second presentationof“Trackdown,"a real-life program detailing America'sparole system.Avery Brooks,who starred as Hawk inABC's popular“Spenser.For Hire,"stars in this serieswhich introduces the audience to the men and women onboth sides of the law.In this program,the Intensive DrugUnit,located in the heart of one Philadelphia neighbor-hood,goes on the offensive against parolees who havereturned to the streets and drugs.When the unit firststarted,one in three parolees failed their drug tests.Recently,the numbers were 1 in 50. CORRECTIONS DIGEST The Wackenhut Corporation of Coral Gables,Fla.,has been awarded a 31-month contract fun-ded by the State of Texas to operate a 619-bedparole violator detention facility in San Antonio. Under the terms of the contract,Wackenhutwill renovate and modernize an existing correc-tional facility,which was built in 1962 and iscurrently not being used,and have it operationalby Jan.23,1989. The contract for operation of the facility has,during the entire contract term,a potential value of$15 million and is subject to State Legislativeappropriations. Once renovatedthe former Bexar County Jailfacility will house parole violators from countiesthroughout the State of Texas.Wackenhut willalso incarcerate up to 158 U.S.Marshal's Serviceprisoners at the facility. The contracting of this facility by the State ofTexas represents the nation's largest single deten-tion facility to be privatized and turned over to aprivate sector company for its operation. Wackenhut Corrections Corporation,awholly-owned subsidiary of The Wackenhut Cor-poration,is presently under contract to operatecorrection/detention facilities in California,Colorado,New York and Texas.■ ## WAVE OF BRAZIL PRISON KILLING

FAQs

What motivation do Ohio inmates report for property crimes involving drugs and alcohol?

Inmates reported committing property crimes to get money for drugs or alcohol (20%) and committing crimes while under the influence (16%). Together, 36% cited drugs or alcohol as their motivation.

How did the study rank drugs among social and economic factors for property crime?

Drugs received the highest score among the rated factors, followed by unemployment and alcohol. Desire for pleasure was also rated as very important.

Were high-volume offenders more likely to cite drugs and alcohol as their main reason?

Yes. Among inmates who said they committed six or more crimes in the year prior to conviction, more than one-third were primarily motivated by drugs and alcohol.

Sep 29, 2026

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