Punishment and alcohol problems: Recidivism among drinking-driving offenders

✍ Scribed by Jiang Yu

• Book ID: 104269495
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 51 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0047-2352
• DOI: 10.1016/s0047-2352(00)00047-7

✦ Synopsis

The degree to which punishment reduces criminal recidivism has been extensively studied, though few efforts have examined the extent to which sanctions are effective for offenders whose criminal behaviors are a result of their alcohol and substance abuse problems. This study was conducted under the hypothesis that the effect of alcohol problems and the effect of sanctions tend to negate each other. Sanctions reduce the chance of repeat drinking-driving offenses, while severe alcohol problems increase such chances. Analysis based on a sample of 521 persons who had prior arrests for drinking-driving offenses indicated that offenders' alcohol problems are the strongest predictor of future recidivism. When alcohol problems were controlled for, punitive sanctions did not significantly decrease the chance of recidivism. Findings suggest that carefully screening drinking-driving offenders' alcohol-related problems and providing effective treatment to those offenders who are in need of such services, constitute critical strategies to reduce drinking-driving recidivism. Similar strategies should be applied to offenders who committed alcohol/drug-related offenses other than drinking-driving.