Substance use on day of offence in a sample of male federal offenders

Research has established the association between criminal offending and substance use. Examining the specific substances used by offenders on the day of their offence(s) will provide a greater understanding of this relationship.

In total, 10,264^{Footnote 1}, ^{Footnote 2} offenders completed the Computerized Assessment of Substance Abuse (CASA)^{Footnote 3} between fiscal year (FY) 2006/07 and 2009/10^{Footnote 4} on intake to the federal correctional system. We examined the percentage of offenders who reported being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs on the day of their current offence. For those under the influence, the types of substances used were examined. Trends in the type of substance used over time were also explored.

Overall, 49% (n = 5,045) of the sample reported being under the influence on the day of their current offence. Of those who reported being under the influence, 28% of the sample reported being under the influence of alcohol, 48% reported being under the influence of drugs, and 23% reported being under the influence of both alcohol and drugs.

In terms of substance type consumed on the day of offence, over half (52%) reported being under the influence of alcohol, while 42% reported cocaine, 23% marijuana, 16% opioids, and 16% other drugs^{Footnote 5}, ^{Footnote 6}.

Figure 1 examines the distribution of substance type used across fiscal years and highlights the changes from FY 2006/07 to FY 2009/10:

• The proportion of offenders who reported being under the influence of alcohol on the day of offence increased from 47% to 56%.
• Offenders who reported being under the influence of cocaine decreased from 45% to 35%.
• The proportion reporting being under the influence of marijuana increased slightly (22% to 25%), while opioid use decreased slightly (18% to 15%) and other drugs remained constant (17%).

Half of all offenders reported being under the influence on the day they committed their current offence(s), thereby reinforcing the link between crime and substance use. However, there is a temporal trend towards fewer offenders reporting that they were under the influence of illicit drugs such as cocaine and opioids on the day of the offence and more having used alcohol. Further research could examine the link between substance abuse problem severity and types of substances used on the day of offence and explore potential time trends in the type of crimes committed while under the influence, building on the work of Ternes & Johnson (2011).

Ternes, M., & Johnson, S. (2011). Linking type of substance use and type of crime in male offenders (RS11-6). Ottawa, ON: Correctional Service Canada.

Prepared by: Peggy Mullins, Marguerite Ternes, & Shanna Farrell MacDonald

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