title: Criminality and addiction.
abstract: This follow-up study describes the criminal activity of samples of 112 dropouts and 110 active patients from one of the largest methadone maintenance programs in New York City. Certain refinements in the categorization of "dropouts" and in the calculation of crime rates are proposed that appear necessary if different drug treatment modalities are to be compared. Considering the rates for property offenses committed during the year following admission to the program, the highest rates are among the court cases included in the sample of active patients, followed by the dropouts who were in institutions at the time of the interviews, and the dropouts who went to other methadone programs. The data suggest that methadone alone, without adequate supportive services, will not solve the crime problem and may even exacerbate it, at least for some groups of addicts. The need to monitor, alter, and improve treatment programs is emphasized.
mesh_terms: D003415:Crime; D003710:Demography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D008691:Methadone