ABSTRACT

Identity theories have long influenced criminological thinking, and much of that work warns of deviant certification and negative appraisals as promoting criminal continuity. In the drug-use literature, similar themes have emerged linking drug-use continuity to the strength of one’s identity as ‘dependent’ or ‘addicted’ to drugs. Using archival data drawn from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, we explore the correlation between criminal justice contact and the self-identification of a drug dependency among a sample of recent drug-using police detainees. We find, holding constant a detainee’s frequency, longevity and type of drug use, that contact with the criminal justice system is statistically associated with higher odds of self-identifying as dependent. Further, we found those detainees who have more frequent criminal justice contact more likely to report themselves as dependent. This finding contributes to ongoing research into the complexity of identity and the management and engagement of drug-using offenders in treatment programs offered throughout the criminal justice system.

摘要

身份理论长期以来一直影响着犯罪学思想，其中大部分工作都警告称，越轨证明和负面评价会促进犯罪连续性。在吸毒文献中，出现了类似的主题，将吸毒的连续性与个人对毒品“依赖”或“上瘾”的认同强度联系起来。使用从澳大利亚药物使用监测 (DUMA) 计划中提取的档案数据，我们探讨了刑事司法接触与近期吸毒警察被拘留者样本中药物依赖的自我识别之间的相关性。我们发现，在保持被拘留者的频率、寿命和吸毒类型不变的情况下，与刑事司法系统的接触在统计上与更高的自我认定为依赖者的几率相关。更远，我们发现那些与刑事司法接触更频繁的被拘留者更有可能报告自己是受抚养人。这一发现有助于持续研究身份的复杂性以及吸毒罪犯在整个刑事司法系统提供的治疗方案中的管理和参与。