PROBATIONERS SURVEYED ON DRUG USE

WASHINGTON--The first national survey of Americans on probation found that
almost half were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they
committed their crimes.

The research showed that 46.8 percent of probationers had used either
alcohol, drugs or both at the time of their offense, the Justice Department
reported Sunday. This was lower than use among incarcerated criminals at
the time of their offenses, according to the survey, conducted for the
Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Among jail inmates, 60 percent had used alcohol, drugs or both when they
committed their crimes; among state prison inmates, the figure was 49
percent. Alcohol consumption was more prevalent than use of illegal drugs.

Among probationers, 40 percent had consumed alcohol when they committed
their crimes and 14 percent used drugs. Probationers who used alcohol along
with drugs are counted in both the separate alcohol and drug percentages,
which accounts for those two figures totaling more than the combined
percentage.

The number of probationers consuming alcohol at the time of their offense
was comparable to that of jail inmates, 41 percent, but higher than that of
state prisoners, 32 percent. But drug use by probationers during their
crime was far below the figures for jail inmates, 32 percent, or state
prisoners, 36 percent.

The most commonly used drug was marijuana. Among all probationers, 67
percent said they had used marijuana or hashish at least once in their
lives, 31 percent had used crack or other forms of cocaine, 25 percent had
taken stimulants, 20 percent hallucinogens, 15 percent barbiturates and 8
percent heroin or other opiates.

Among all probationers, 35 percent admitted they had at least once consumed
as much as a fifth of a gallon of alcohol in one day. That is the
equivalent of 20 drinks of liquor, three six-packs of beer or three bottles
of wine.

Slightly more than half of all probationers said they had been involved in
a domestic dispute while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both at
some time in their lives.

Sixty-four percent admitted driving a vehicle under the influence of either
or both.

According to the most recent data, there were nearly 3.2 million adults on
probation as of Dec. 31, 1996 -double the 1.6 million adults incarcerated.
Probation is used as a lesser penalty than imprisonment, for less serious
crimes or criminals with no or few prior convictions. Very rarely does a
sentence in such cases include prison time, followed by probation. Although
36.8 percent of the probationers were sentenced to some time behind bars,
this was usually a very short period, said the bureau's policy analyst
Christopher J. Mumola.

The 31.2 percent of probationers also sentenced to jail served an average
of three months. The 5.6 percent of probationers sentenced to prison served
an average of 20 months.

The overwhelming majority of criminals who receive prison sentences are
released on parole, not on probation. Parolees were not included in the
study, which was based on interviews in 1995 with a representative national
sample of 2,000 active probationers.

Copyright Los Angeles Times