HISPANIC INMATE

Hispanic Inmate



Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare socio demographic and symptom profiles between U.S. jail inmates and the U.S. general population with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) alcohol use disorder. Data for the study were derived from two large nationally representative surveys, the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. U.S. inmates were significantly more likely (P < .007) to be younger, male, Black or Hispanic, to have lower education, and to be separated/divorced/widowed or never married relative to their U.S. general population counterparts. Inmates were also more likely to have more severe alcohol abuse and dependence. Implications of this study are discussed in terms of meeting the unique alcohol treatment needs of U.S. jail inmates including implementation of more intensive alcohol treatment and intervention programs targeting specific needs of inmates with alcohol use disorder as revealed from unique socio demographic profiles.

Introduction

The jail population in the United States has continued to increase steadily, from 405,320 in 1999 to 747,529 in 2005 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006). The large increase has been attributed to an increase in drug-related crime and changes in law enforcement practices related to drug-related crime during this period ([Belenko and Peugh, 1998] and [Belenko and Peugh, 2005]) and consequently high rates of substance use disorders among inmates. In 2002, the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated that 47.8% of convicted U.S. jail inmates had an alcohol use disorder (i.e., alcohol abuse or dependence).

Literature Review

Despite the growing number of inmates with alcohol use disorder, little is known about how sociodemographic characteristics and diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder differ between convicted inmates of U.S. jails and the general U.S. population. Understanding differences in sociodemographic and alcohol-related symptom profiles among affected individuals in these two populations could provide information on how alcohol treatment delivered to the U.S. general population might be tailored to address unique characteristics of inmates with alcohol use disorder.

Accordingly, this study provides a direct comparison of sociodemographic characteristics and symptom criteria for alcohol use disorder between U.S. jail inmates and their U.S. general population counterparts. Data were derived from the 2002 Survey of Inmates of Local Jails (SILJ: Karberg and James, 2004) and the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC: [Grant et al., 2003a], [Grant et al., 2003b] and [Grant et al., 2004]). Both national surveys used identical diagnostic symptom items to derive Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV: American Psychiatric Association, 1994 American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th edn.), American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC (1994).American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnoses of alcohol abuse and dependence.

Materials and methods

All potential NESARC and SILJ respondents were informed in writing about the nature of the survey, the statistical uses of the survey data, the voluntary aspect of their participation, and the Federal laws that rigorously provide for the strict confidentiality of identifiable survey ...