Clinical and Demographic Correlates of the Type and Frequency of Criminal Behavior Among Jail Inmates with a Substance Use Disorder

Abstract

This study sought to identify the clinical and demographic correlates of offenders with a violent instant offense as well as those with a history of greater criminal recidivism among a sample of county jail inmates with a substance use disorder. Clinical, demographic, and arrest data from 176 male inmates (76.0% Caucasian) incarcerated in a county jail facility were utilized to address the present study’s objectives. All inmates were repeat offenders and met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994) diagnostic criteria for dependence on one or more substances based on a structured clinical interview. Clinical variables included patterns and prevalence of various DSM-IV substance-specific dependence diagnoses (i.e., alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and heroin), as well as several non-substance use disorder psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], antisocial personality disorder). Demographic variables included age, race, marital status, employment status, educational attainment, and estimated annual income level. Inmates with a violent instant offense had a higher prevalence of PTSD, antisocial personality disorder, and both major depressive and manic episodes relative to non-violent offenders. The only significant associations between number of prior bookings and all the studied clinical and demographic variables involved the presence of a PTSD diagnosis and income level. Co-occurring psychiatric disorders are prevalent among substance-dependent violent offenders, while very few of the studied variables appear significantly related to the frequency of prior criminal behavior. Research implications and clinical implications for county jail classification procedures are discussed.