Methamphetamine Use Among Offenders: Implications for Criminal Justice

1. Methamphetamine Use Among Offenders Association for Criminal Justice Research (CA) March 17, 2005 Jerry Cartier / David Farabee / Michael Prendergast University of California, Los Angeles Integrated Substance Abuse Programs

2. National Prevalence • Drug Use Among Male Arrestees (ADAM, 2002) (National Medians) • Any Drug: 63.9% • Marijuana: 40.5% • Crack/Powder Cocaine: 30.4% • Heroin: 5.9% • Methamphetamine: 5.3% UCLA-ISAP

3. Cities Reporting >20% Arrestees Using Methamphetamine (Hawaii) UCLA-ISAP

4. UCLA’s Evaluation of California’s Prison Treatment Initiative • Initial Assessment (IA) Form • 1998-2004 • 19 prison-based programs • N=25,297 UCLA-ISAP

5. Primary Substance Reported by California Inmates(N=22,903) F = 13.0% CA = 6.5% 6 11.5 15 F = 23.2% CA = 46.2% 17.4 21.5 28.8 UCLA-ISAP

6. Profiles of Methamphetamine Users vs. Other Inmates UCLA-ISAP

7. Profiles of Methamphetamine Users vs. Other Inmates UCLA-ISAP

8. Risk Behaviors Associated with Methamphetamine Use HIV Crime & Violence

9. HIV

10. Injection-Related HIV Risk • Injected in the Past 6 Months: • MA Users: 37.1% • Non-MA Users: 11.1% • Of the MA IDUs: • 24% used “dirty” syringes • 30% shared cookers, rinse water, etc. UCLA-ISAP

11. Sex-Related HIV Risk (Odd Ratios of MA Users vs. Non-MA Users) UCLA-ISAP

12. Sex-Related HIV Risk (Odd Ratios of MA Users vs. Non-MA Users) 1.5 2.5 4.8 UCLA-ISAP

13. Crime & Violence

14. Routes of Influence(Source: Goldstein (1985). Journal of Drug Issues, 15, 493-506 )  Economic-Compulsive Intentional crime that results from drug users engaging in an economically oriented crime to support their own addiction.  Pharmacological Crimes that occur as a result of the excitability, paranoia, or poor impulse control associated with use of certain drugs.  Systemic Crimes associated with drug manufacturing and distribution. UCLA-ISAP

15. Methamphetamine Use and Violence • Studies testing co-occurrence and/or causation • About 50% of MA report engaging in violence • A quarter to two- thirds attributed violence to MA use UCLA-ISAP

16. Returned to Custody for Any Reason(Odd Ratios of MA Users vs. Non-MA Users) • MA users were about 30% more likely to recidivate than Non-MA users. • This effect held even after controlling for involvement in drug trade. UCLA-ISAP

17. Returned to Custody for Violent Crime(Odd Ratios of MA Users vs. Non-MA Users) • MA users were about as likely to recidivate as Non-MA users for a violent crime. • However, MA use was associated with days of self-reported violent acts. UCLA-ISAP

18. Self-Reported Violence (MA Users vs. Non-MA Users, Past 30 Days) • MA users were over three times as likely to report the commission of violent acts (e.g., assault, domestic violence, armed robbery, mugging, etc.). UCLA-ISAP

19. Summary • MA use is most prevalent in Western states, but expanding into the Midwest. (Hawaii) • Among substance-abusing inmates in California, MA is the most commonly cited primary drug. • MA-using offenders are more likely than other drug users to be IDUs, but no more likely than other IDUs to share works. UCLA-ISAP

20. Summary (cont.) • MA use is associated with a 2-5 fold increase in sex-related HIV risk. • A quarter to two-thirds of MA users attribute violent acts to MA use. • The association between MA use, • crime, and violence does not • appear to be an artifact of drug trade involvement. UCLA-ISAP

21. Summary (cont.) • MA users were nearly three times more likely to report violent acts than non-MA users UCLA-ISAP

22. Summary (cont.) • MA users about 30% more likely to recidivate (12-months) than Non-MA users. Effect held after controlling for involvement in drug trade. UCLA-ISAP

23. End