The Influence of Substance Use among Adult Female Inmates

Abstract

Using a 90% sample (1,076) of the women incarcerated in August 1985 in Florida prisons, and a “non-use, casual/recreational use, problem use” typology, the extent of substance abuse was found to be inversely related to age at first arrest as an adult, age at incarceration, and employment at time of arrest. Extent of substance use was directly related to number and percent of prior offenses and incarcerations, broken parental home, and criminality in the family of origin. Even though non-users were more likely to be convicted of homicide, casual/recreational users were the most violent. No evidence was found for an increase in substance use/abuse between 1975 and 1985.