title: Diagnosed alcohol dependence and criminal sentencing among British Columbian Aboriginal offenders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol use is commonly reported as a short-term criminal risk factor; however there is minimal research on the effects of alcohol dependence on crime. Canadian Aboriginal offenders exhibit both disproportionate crime and alcohol disorder prevalence. This study aims to examine the impact of diagnosed alcohol dependence on Aboriginal ethnicity and criminal sentencing in British Columbia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used an administrative linkage database of social, health and justice system variables to develop a retrospective cohort of 70,035 offenders sentenced through courts in British Columbia from 2001-2010. We used a coefficient difference mediation analysis to evaluate the mediating effect of alcohol dependence on the association between self-reported Aboriginal status and sentencing rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aboriginal offenders had 1.92 (95% C.I.: 1.79,2.06) times higher odds of alcohol dependence than Caucasian offenders. Adjustment for health, social and demographic factors resulted in a 27% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 15%, 33%) reduction in the association of Aboriginal ethnicity on sentencing. Adjustment for alcohol dependence resulted in only a further reduction of 2% (95% CI: -12%, 15%). Although alcohol dependence was associated both with Aboriginal ethnicity and sentencing, it did not have a significant mediating impact on sentencing rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol dependence was not a mediator for the relationship between sentencing rate and Aboriginal ethnicity. However, due to the proportion of offenders diagnosed with alcohol dependence, these results support alcohol misuse as an important public health policy target in this population.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6. Electronic address: emily_rempel@sfu.ca.
authors.forename: Emily S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Rempel
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6.
authors.forename: Julian M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Somers
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Calvert
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6.
authors.forename: Lawrence C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: McCandless
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004930:Inuit / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aboriginal peoples; Alcohol disorders; Ethnicity; Mediation analysis; Offenders