Substance Abuse Treatment and Corrections

Abstract

It would be difficult to find a subpopulation with higher rates of substance use disorders than offenders. In the United States in1999, there were a total of 43.8 million contacts between police and U.S. citizens in their jurisdiction including traffic stops and other matters (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001) resulting in about 15 million arrests (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000a). In cities participating in an Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000b), an average of 65.8% of male arrestees and 64.2% of female arrestees tested positive for an illicit drug at arrest. Still more offenders are problematically involved with drugs and alcohol but do not test positive at the time of arrest (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000a). In sum, the vast majority of those incarcerated, at least in the United States, show a diagnosable substance use disorder.