Patterns of crime and substance abuse among Israeli ex-addict female inmates

Gila Chen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current study examined the relationship between drug addiction and crime involvement among Israeli female prisoners, and further examined the differential contribution of early onset of drug, sexual abuse and poly drug use, to predict involvement in offenses against person. Fifty-four ex-addict female inmates participated in this study. Research findings indicated that a majority began using drugs prior to their involvement in crime and most were convicted of drug-related crimes. In addition, almost half had a history of sexual abuse. Female inmates who were sexually abused were characterized by an early onset of drug and poly drug use. A relationship was observed between poly drug use and offenses against person. Also, the duration of drug abstinence corresponded to a lower sense of coherence and higher level of trait anxiety among female inmates. The implications of these findings for substance abuse treatment are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)47-60
Number of pages14
JournalAsian Journal of Criminology
Volume4
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Drug addiction
  • Female inmates
  • Israel
  • Poly drug use
  • Sexual abuse

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