Pubdate: Wed, 01 May 2002
Source: Guardian, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2002 The Guardian, Charlottetown Guardian Group Incorporated
Contact:  http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/174
Author: Ron Ryder

DRUG, ALCOHOL ABUSE KEY FACTORS IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

New Study Suggests Intoxicants Contribute To Nearly Half Of Crimes By 
People In Federal Jails

Drug and alcohol use are a direct cause of almost half the crimes 
that put people in the federal justice system, according to a study 
released in Charlottetown Tuesday.

Studies of inmate populations have long found a high number of the 
people in federal institutions reporting addiction problems, but the 
recent study from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse goes a step 
further and suggests that intoxicants are a contributing cause to 
between 40 and 50 per cent of crimes.

Researchers found that more than half of federal inmates reported 
they were intoxicated at the time they committed their offences.

In 23 per cent of cases, they found that the crime had actually been 
committed in order to obtain drugs or alcohol.

The study was unveiled at a conference of experts on addictions and 
criminal behaviour. Delegates from a dozen countries are at 
Charlottetown Delta hotel this week to look at the latest information 
on the crime-addiction pattern.

Corrections Canada's addiction research centre in Montague is 
considered a leader in examining the role of addiction in crime and 
in looking at ways of breaking that cycle.

Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay said the findings confirmed the 
relationship that Corrections Canada has long noticed connecting 
addictions and criminal behaviour.

"I wouldn't necessarily call the results a surprise," he said. "We 
find that seven out of 10 inmates in our system have some kind of 
abuse problem." On top of the link between addictions and criminal 
behaviour, the study found that the types of crimes committed varied 
with the type of addiction from which a criminal suffers.

Researchers found that 37 per cent of inmates with alcohol dependency 
had committed violent crimes, compared to 18 per cent of those with 
drug addiction. Drug addicts were found more likely to commit theft 
or other "gainful" offences, often in order to obtain drugs.

The work was based on interviews with inmates and examination of 
thousands of criminal case files.

Researcher Serge Brochu said the study is the first to establish a 
causal link between addictions and crime. He said further work may be 
needed to see if there are variations in the addiction-crime pattern 
depending on the offender's region, gender or social group.

MacAulay said establishing the link scientifically should help pave 
the way to reduce crime by dealing with the drug and alcohol problems 
that are at its root.

"I'm not here to make announcements today but I'm sure you can see 
where I might feel some actions could happen and where I feel our 
emphasis is," he said.

"We certainly intend to do what we can to deal with people in custody."

Michel Perron, chief executive officer of the Canadian Centre on 
Substance Abuse, said it is becoming clear that fighting addiction is 
an effective way to reduce crime and to cut the risk that people who 
have been in the federal prison system will offend once they are 
released.

"I'm not a penal expert, I'm an addiction expert, but given the 
evidence of drug and alcohol problems among the population, certainly 
it would bode well for the correctional service to continue their 
efforts and to support groups such as the addiction research centre 
here in Montague, P.E.I.," Perron said.

"The issue we are looking at is what sort of programs we can put into 
place to prevent the onset of drug use and alcohol abuse. To help 
those who are in trouble to extract themselves from that and, where 
they do find themselves in a correctional setting, to provide the 
treatments and supports that they require."
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