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Drugs and Crime Facts

Drug treatment under correctional supervision

On probation | In jail | In State and Federal prisons

On probation

Almost all probationers (99%) had one or more conditions to their sentence required by the court or probation agency. Among such conditions were drug testing and substance abuse treatment.

Drug or alcohol treatment was a sentence condition for 41% of adults on probation; 37% had received treatment. An estimated 29% of probationers were required to get treatment for alcohol abuse or dependency and 23% for drug abuse. Drug treatment was required nearly twice as frequently among felons as misdemeanants (28% compared to 15%).

Thirty-two percent of all probationers were subject to mandatory drug testing -- 43% of felons and 17% of misdemeanants.

Source: BJS, Characteristics of Adults on Probation, 1995, NCJ 164267, December 1997.

Seventeen percent of all probationers reported having participated in a drug treatment program during their probation sentence. The percentage rose as the severity of prior drug use increased. Of those with any past drug use, 25% had received treatment, and the percentage grew to 42% of those using drugs in the month before the offense. A majority of those using drugs at the time of offense reported participation in drug treatment during their current sentence.

Of the individual drug treatment programs, the most common among all probationers
were --

• 11% Narcotics/Cocaine Anonymous groups
• 8% drug rehabilitation, and
• 6% outpatient clinics.

The types of treatment programs did not differ according to the level of the
probationers' past drug use.

For probationers using drugs in the month prior to the offense, the most common programs were --

• 27% Narcotics/Cocaine Anonymous,
• 20% drug rehabilitation, and
• 17% outpatient clinics.

Nearly a third of alcohol- or drug-involved probationers were currently enrolled in an alcohol or drug treatment program when interviewed. Half of alcohol- or drug-involved probationers said they were treated on their current sentence to probation, and about two-thirds had been treated at some time in their lives.

Since their sentence began, over 40% of DWI offenders on probation who reported using drugs at the time of their offense had participated in drug treatment or programs: 13% of those who reported prior drug use, and 22% of those who were regular drug users.

Source: BJS, DWI Offenders under Correctional Supervision,
NCJ 172212, June 1999.

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In Jail

Substance abuse treatment includes detoxification, professional counseling, a residential stay, or maintenance drug programs. Other programs include Alcoholic Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and other self-help groups, and drug or alcohol education or awareness. Although jail jurisdictions were unlikely to mandate treatment for inmates after a positive drug test, almost three-quarters provided substance abuse treatment or other programs for their inmates.

Overall, 12% of jail jurisdictions provided all types of programs and treatment, and about 22% had only AA, NA, or other self-help programs.

In 1996 based on self-reported information in the jail inmates survey, over half of jail inmates who said they had ever used drugs and those who used regularly had participated in substance abuse treatment or programs in the past. Among convicted inmates 58% of those who had used drugs in the month before the offense and 61% of those who had used drugs at the time of the offense had participated in substance abuse treatment or programs.

Source: BJS, Drug Use, Testing, and Treatment in Jails, NCJ 179999, May 2000.

Of DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) offenders in jail who reported using drugs at the time of their offense, 25% reported some type of drug treatment since their admission, as did 7% of those who reported any prior drug use and 9% of those who were regular users.

Source: BJS, DWI Offenders under Correctional Supervision, NCJ 172212, June 1999.

Veterans

In 1996 veterans' in local jails substance abuse treatment histories were similar to those of other inmates. Since their admission, veterans in local jails reported the same level of participation as nonveterans (10% of both) in substance abuse treatment or programs. Veterans (48%) were also about as likely as other inmates (42%) to report participation in any drug treatment or other programs at some time in their past.

Source: BJS, Veterans in Prison or Jail, NCJ 178888, January 2000.

In State and Federal prisons

• Prisoners' drug treatment experience
• Treatment facilities

Prisoners' drug treatment experience

In 1997, an estimated 340,047 (24.4% of total) State prisoners and 24,729 (24.5% of total) Federal prisoners said that they had participated in either professional substance abuse treatment or other abuse programs since their admission.

A third of State prisoners reported past participation in alcohol or drug abuse treatment, such as time spent in a residential facility, professional counseling, detoxification, or use of a maintenance drug. About 1 in 8 State prisoners had participated in these types of alcohol or drug treatment since their admission to prison.

In both State and Federal prisons, the percentage of inmates who reported being treated for drug abuse since their admission dropped since 1991.

In 1997, 1 in 10 State prisoners reported being treated for drug abuse since admission; a decrease from the 1 in 4 prisoners reporting such treatment in 1991. There was also a drop in the percentage of Federal prisoners (9%) reporting treatment since admission (16% in 1991).

Among both State and Federal prisoners, enrollment in other drug abuse programs, such as self-help or peer groups and drug education classes, had gone up over this period. In 1997, 20% of both State and Federal prisoners reported participation in drug abuse programs during their current prison term, up from 16% of State and 10% of Federal prisoners in 1991. Among those prisoners who used drugs at the time of offense, participation in these programs had risen to 32% of State and 38% of Federal prisoners in 1997, compared to about 25% of each in 1991.

Source: BJS, Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, NCJ 172871, January 1999.

Veterans

In both State and Federal prisons, veterans' substance abuse treatment histories were similar to those of other inmates in 1997. Since their admission, veterans in both State and Federal prisons reported similar levels of participation in substance abuse treatment or programs as nonveterans (32% and 28%, respectively). Veterans (59%) were also as likely as other State prisoners (56%) to report participation in any drug treatment or other programs at some time in their past.

Source: BJS, Veterans in Prison or Jail, NCJ 178888, January 2000.

Treatment facilities

After nearly doubling between 1990 and 1995, the number of correctional facilities that operated primarily as alcohol or drug treatment institutions increased 8% from 233 in 1995 to 249 in 2000. Confinement facilities with drug or alcohol treatment as a main function rose from 192 to 200 community-based facilities with this specialty rose from 41 to 49.

More than 80% of the 200 confinement facilities functioning primarily as drug or alcohol treatment facilities in 2000 were State operated, about 10% were private contract facilities, and 8% Federal institutions. Community-based facilities were nearly evenly split between privately operated institutions (55%) and State facilities (45%).

Overall, in 2000, 96% of the Nation's correctional facilities offered counseling. Both drug and alcohol counseling were available in about 90% of the facilities. This pattern was similar among Federal, State, and privately operated facilities.

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Page last revised on August 20, 2004