Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Violence Among North Carolina Prison Admissions, 1988

Researchers contrasted claimed substance intoxication at the time of crime commission with violent crimes for 1988 admissions to the North Carolina Department of Correction. Self-report prevalence rates of substance intoxication (54.37%) were similar to the percentages of positive urine samples randomly taken from parolees (57.29%) and probationers (46.71%). Some admissions of all ages (range: 15-65) reported using drugs at the time of their crime. Prisoners reporrcd age-linked preferences for drugs beginning with poly-substance abuse, primarily alcohol ,and cannabis, at age 20 and progressing to heroin by age 35. The .most frequently abused drug was alcohol. Intoxicated criminals committed no more violent offenses than sober offenders. Inmates inebriated with illegal drugs committed fewer violent crimes than either sober offenders, poly-abusers, or alcohol abusers. Results suggest that intoxication with alcohol free mood altering drugs contribute to a reduction of violent crime among incarcerated criminal offenders.