DRUGS, ABUSE COMMON LINK OF JAIL INMATES, STUDY FINDS

WASHINGTON--A rising proportion of inmates in the nation's
jails is dependent on drugs, the Justice Department reported Sunday.
More than a third of the inmates were taking drugs at the time of the
offense that got them locked up, and more than 60% were using drugs or
alcohol or both. More than half of them said they used narcotics in
the month before the offense. The department also reported that 48% of
female inmates and 13% of male inmates were physically or sexually
abused at some point in their lives. The findings emerged from a
profile of U.S. jail inmates, conducted by the Bureau of Justice
Statistics in 1996 when there were 507,026 people in local lockups.

That was an increase of 28% in the nation's jail population since the
previous survey, conducted in 1989. By mid-1997, the number of inmates
was 567,079.

"A higher percentage of inmates in 1996 than in 1989 reported use for
every type of drug except cocaine," the Justice report said. "Overall,
82% of all jail inmates in 1996 said they had ever used an illegal
drug, up from 78% in 1989." Sixty-two percent of convicted inmates
said they drank alcohol regularly--at least once a week for at least a
month--compared with 64% who said they had regularly used drugs.

At the time they committed their offense, about 41% said they had been
drinking, and 36% said they were using drugs.

In all, six in 10 convicted inmates were using alcohol or drugs or
both at the time of the crime. The survey was based on hourlong
interviews of 6,133 inmates in 431 jails in late 1995 and early 1966.
More than half the inmates were free on probation, parole, bond or
other pretrial release when they were jailed for a new offense. Almost
a third, 31.7%, were on probation.

An additional 13.1% were on parole, 12.7% were free on bail or bond
and 4.4% had been released under conditions such as electronic
monitoring or house arrest. Almost half of all inmates grew up in
one-parent homes (43% with their mother as single parent and 5% with
their father). Almost 40% said their parents or guardians had abused
alcohol or drugs. Nearly 40% said their parents or guardians received
public assistance when they were growing up. Female inmates were 10.2%
of the jail population in 1996. Forty-eight percent reported having
been physically or sexually abused at some point in their lives and
27% said they had been raped. In 1989, 44.4% of female inmates
reported past abuse; rape was not measured. Thirteen percent of the
male inmates said they had been abused at least once in their lives;
3% said they had been raped.

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