Treatment FAQ

in 1998 what percentage of incarcerated persons received drug treatment

by Edward White Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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What percentage of the US population is incarcerated for drugs?

Today, 25% of the incarcerated population is in prison for drugs. The total incarceration rate in the US is 40% higher than #2, Cuba. Portugal, slightly above the median worldwide, incarcerates 136 people per 100K of population. Source: Prison Policy Initiative

How many drug treatment programs are there in prisons?

In 1979 the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) conducted a comprehensive survey of drug abuse treatment programs in prisons (NIDA, 1981). The survey identified 160 prison treatment programs serving about 10,000 inmates (4 percent of the prison population).

How are sentencing and incarceration records broken down by drug-related?

Sentencing and incarceration records are only coded as drug-related, and are not broken down into manufacturing, sale, or possession. Hover over different sections of the chart to see how many people were incarcerated that year with that sentence. Has the criminalization of drug use achieved the goal of the War on Drugs?

How common are substance use disorders in prisons?

While the exact rates of inmates with substance use disorders (SUDs) is difficult to measure, some research shows that an estimated 65% percent of the United States prison population has an active SUD. Another 20% percent did not meet the official criteria for an SUD, but were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their crime.1

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How many inmates were substance dependent in the past?

Nearly two-thirds of jail inmates who were substance dependent or abusers had participated in treatment or programs in the past. Fifty-two percent had participated while under correctional supervision, up from 43% in 1996.

How many correctional facilities were there in 1995?

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.

How many probationers get drug 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%).

How did drug use and drug dealing in prisons decline?

Drug use and drug dealing (which are rampant in many prisons) decline with the introduction of drug treatment programs and random urinalysis testing (Vigdal and Stadler, 1989). Infractions of prison rules as well as violence and threats of violence also decline, and the danger of prison riots is reduced.

Why are drug abusers incarcerated?

Because of the seriousness of their crimes and their criminal records, many of these drug-abusing offenders are incarcerated; therefore, a logical, cost-effective, and convenient point of intervention is while they are in prison and on parole.

What was the 1984 study?

The 1984 study evaluated all clients who graduated between 1976 and 1979 against three comparison groups: (1) clients who dropped out in less than one month during the same time frame, (2) all Oregon parolees (from 1974 to 1977) who had a history of substance abuse, and (3) a sample of Michigan parolees.

How did the 1980s affect drug abuse?

Legislators also responded to the alarming increase in drug abuse during the 1980s by mandating tougher sentences against drug dealers and users. As a result of the new sentencing laws, the nation's prisons became full of serious drug-abusing offenders, many of them recidivists.

How many inmates did the NIDA survey identify?

The survey identified 160 prison treatment programs serving about 10,000 inmates (4 percent of the prison population).

Where is the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility?

It has two sites: a program for male offenders established in 1977 at the New York State Arthur Kill Correctional Facility on Staten Island, and a treatment program for females, opened in 1978 at the Bayview Correctional Facility in Manhattan.

When did prison populations increase?

Since the 1970s, when retribution replaced rehabilitation as the dominant sentencing philosophy, prison populations have climbed dramatically while crime has continued unabated. The public outcry against sharply rising crime rates during the early 1970s led politicians to call for more certain and severe sentences.

What percentage of the population is in prison for drugs?

Today, 25% of the incarcerated population is in prison for drugs. The total incarceration rate in the US is 40% higher than #2, Cuba. Portugal, slightly above the median worldwide, incarcerates 136 people per 100K of population. Source: Prison Policy Initiative.

How many people were addicted to heroin in Portugal in 1999?

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Portugal practiced similar drug criminalization policies to the United States. But by 1999, approximately 100,000 people (1% of the population) were addicted to heroin.

What is illegal drug use?

“Illicit” drug use encompasses both illegal drugs and the use of prescription drugs or other chemicals in a manner for which they were not created (see the prior section, Types of Illicit Drugs, for more information). This data is reported by percentage of respondents.

How many people use marijuana in 2013?

As of 2013, between 128 and 232 million people used marijuana, making it the most commonly used illegal drug in the world. Up to Schedule I. Stimulants. Stimulants, or psychostimulants are psychoactive drugs that temporarily improve either mental or physical functions or both.

What is the war on drugs?

The “War on Drugs” refers to American drug policy focused on drug prohibition, military aid and intervention aimed at reducing the illegal drug trade. These policies have the intention of reducing production, distribution, and consumption of drugs that the UN and other countries have made illegal.

What were the consequences of the war on drugs?

Many of those repercussions have had unintended, devastating impacts on the vulnerable, racial minorities and women. See below for a few of those impacts.

Is cocaine a stimulant?

Cocaine, also known as benzoylmethylecgonine, is a stimulant. The illegal market for cocaine is between 100 to 500 billion USD each year, and is the most frequently used illegal drug globally. Up to Schedule II. Pain Relievers. An analgesic or painkiller is used to relieve pain.

Limited Availability of Mental Health Treatment

A steady elimination of psychiatric hospital beds since 1955 has dramatically reduced the availability of inpatient services.

Is incarceration pathogenic?

Prison conditions such as crowded living quarters, lack of privacy, increased risk of victimization, and exposure to punitive segregation are strongly correlated with emerging and worsening psychiatric symptoms (including self-harm). 48

Treatment in Carceral Settings

The federal prison population has expanded by an average of 3.9% annually since 2000 (0.8% increase for state prison facilities) without a corresponding increase in prison personnel. 67

How many drug arrests were there in 2013?

There were more than 1.5 million drug arrests in the U.S. in 2013. The vast majority – more than 80 percent – were for possession only.4 At year-end 2012, 16 percent of all people in state prison were incarcerated for a drug law violation – of whom nearly 50,000 were incarcerated for possession alone.5 More than 50 percent of people in federal prisons are incarcerated for drug law violations. About 500,000 Americans are behind bars on any given night for a drug law violation6 – ten times the total in 1980.7

What is the purpose of decriminalizing drug possession?

Decriminalize drug possession, removing a major cause of arrest and incarceration of primarily people of color, helping more people receive drug treatment and redirecting law enforcement resources to prevent serious and violent crime.

What happens if you violate a drug law?

Punishment for a drug law violation is not only meted out by the criminal justice system, but is also perpetuated by policies denying child custody, voting rights, employment, business loans, licensing, student aid, public housing and other public assistance to people with criminal convictions. Criminal records often result in deportation of legal residents or denial of entry for noncitizens trying to visit the U.S. Even if a person does not face jail or prison time, a drug conviction often imposes a lifelong ban on many aspects of social, economic and political life.23

How many drug arrests were there in 2016?

There were more than 1.5 million drug arrests in the U.S. in 2016. The vast majority – more than 80 percent – were for possession only.4 At year-end 2015, 15 percent of all people in state prison were incarcerated for a drug law violation – of whom 44,700 were incarcerated for possession alone. Forty-seven percent of people in federal prisons and more than half of the female federal population are incarcerated for drug law violations.5 Almost 500,000 people are behind bars for a drug law violation on any given night in the United States6 – ten times the total in 1980.7

What is the purpose of decriminalizing drug possession?

Decriminalize drug possession, removing a major cause of arrest and incarceration of primarily people of color, helping more people receive drug treatment and redirecting law enforcement resources to prevent serious and violent crime.

What happens if you violate a drug law?

Punishment for a drug law violation is not only meted out by the criminal justice system, but is also perpetuated by policies denying child custody, voting rights, employment, business loans, licensing, student aid, public housing and other public assistance to people with criminal convictions. Criminal records often result in deportation of legal residents or denial of entry for noncitizens trying to visit the U.S. Even if a person does not face jail or prison time, a drug conviction often imposes a lifelong ban on many aspects of social, economic and political life.24

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Why Is Treatment So Critical in This population?

How Are Substance Use Disorders Treated in The Criminal Justice System?

  • The recent National Academy of Sciences report on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder stated that only 5% of people with opioid use disorder in jail and prison settings receive medication treatment.13 A survey of prison medical directors suggested that most are not aware of the benefits of using medications with treatment, and when treatment is off...
See more on nida.nih.gov

What About The Cost of Treatment?

  • Failure to treat substance use disorder in the criminal justice system not only has negative societal implications, but also proves to be expensive. One study of people involved in the criminal justice system in California showed that engagement in treatment was associated with lower costs of crime in their communities in the 6 months following treatment. In addition, the econo…
See more on nida.nih.gov

Additional Resources

References

  1. Center on Addiction, Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population, February 2010. https://www.centeronaddiction.org/addiction-research/reports/behind-bars-ii-substance-abuse-and-...
  2. Krinsky, C. S., Lathrop, S. L., Brown, P., & Nolte, K. B. (2009). Drugs, detention, and death: A study of the mortality of recently released prisoners. The American Journal of Forensic Medi…
  1. Center on Addiction, Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population, February 2010. https://www.centeronaddiction.org/addiction-research/reports/behind-bars-ii-substance-abuse-and-...
  2. Krinsky, C. S., Lathrop, S. L., Brown, P., & Nolte, K. B. (2009). Drugs, detention, and death: A study of the mortality of recently released prisoners. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and...
  3. Binswanger, I. A., Blatchford, P. J., Mueller, S. R., & Stern, M. F. (2013). Mortality after prison release: Opioid overdose and other causes of death, risk factors, and time trends from 1999 to 20...
  4. Møller, L. F., Matic, S., van Den Bergh, B. J., Moloney, K., Hayton, P., & Gatherer, A. (2010). Acu…

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