Drug Use and Criminal Behavior in the United States
Drug Use and Criminal Behavior
in the United States
The Facts on Drugs and Crime in America
- Since 1998, individuals arrested for drug crimes have constituted the largest portion of federal prison admissions
- Between 2000 and 2011, Bureau of Prisons (BOP) appropriations have doubled from $3.6 billion to $6.3 billion
- Inmates sentenced after November 1, 1987 are no longer eligible for parole
- 1 in 100 citizens are now confined in jail or prison
- The U.S. incarcerates more people per capita than 26 of the largest European nations combined.
- Incarceration rates in the U.S. are 9X greater for young African-America men between the ages of 30 and 34 years
Why is it Necessary to Focus on Drug-Related Crime
Inmates
- 80% of offenders abuse drugs or alcohol
- Nearly 50% of jail and prison inmates are clinically addicted
- Approximately 60% of individuals arrested for most types of crime test positive for illicit drugs at arrest
Recidivism Rate
45.4% of people released from prison in 1999 and 43.3% of those sent home in 2004 were re-incarcerated within 3 years, either committing an new crime or for violating conditions governing their release
Imprisonment Has Little Effect on Drug Abuse
- 60 to 80% of drug abusers commit a new crime (typically a drug-driven crime) after release from prison
- Approximately 95% return to drug abuse after release from prison
Violent Crime is on the Rise in U.S. Cities
Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention
Studies of youth in juvenile court demonstrate that a majority of court-involved adolescents have recently used illegal substances and that more serious and chronic adolescent offenders have used more substances and are more likely to qualify for a diagnosis of a substance use disorder
