Review of Research on Alcohol and Drug Use, Criminal Behavior, and the Criminal Justice System Response in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

摘要

This report considers research on the problem of crime resulting from alcohol and other drug abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. It provides a review of published research from a variety of disciplines and it includes re-analyses of a number of secondary data sources. Overall, our understanding of alcohol and other drug related crime in AI/AN communities is mixed: the degree to which AI/AN substance use - especially alcohol abuse - accompanies violent crime is fairly well established, while our knowledge about the criminal justice response and legal remedies to the problem is sorely deficient. This report begins with an analysis of the epidemiology of AI/AN substance abuse. This provides a better understanding of the nature of alcohol and other drug use that co-occurs with AI/AN crime.