This paper describes the major findings emanating from a long-term research program conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, on the drugs-crime relationship. It is the compilation of experiences, studies, and findings related to the research career of David N. Nurco, D.S.W., and his colleagues. Covering a period of over 30 years, the program of research, described in the report from the personal perspective of Dr. Nurco, has moved from the study of the nature and correlates of narcotic drug use to the development of data-based interventions. Topics investigated involve many aspects of narcotic addiction, including the relationship between addiction status and crime rates; changes in addict behavior over time; individual variation among addicts in the type, frequency, and severity of crime; and an examination of the early adolescent behavior of males who eventually become narcotic addicts in contrast to that of their never-addicted peers. It concludes with a description of the program's ongoing research, principally dealing with community-based interventions.

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This article reviews research on the relationship between illicit drug use and crime conducted since 1980. Significant advances are noted in studies of the crime of known drug abusers and in studies of the drug use of individuals processed by the criminal justice system. Major conclusions supported by the results of studies of the criminal activity of narcotic abusers are that both a higher prevalence and higher rates of crime are associated with more frequent use of heroin and/or cocaine, although addicts vary with regard to the type, amount, and severity of crime they commit. Rates of lifetime and recent illicit drug use, particularly the use of cocaine, among prisoners, parolees, probationers, and arrestees are high compared to the general population. Issues discussed include the etiology of drug abuse, the effects of treatment and criminal justice interventions on drug use and crime, and drug-related violence.

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A probability-based sample of 243 addicts was selected for study from a Baltimore population of 4,069 male opiate addicts. The sample was interviewed and their criminal history was traced in detail over an 11 year risk period during which they were “on the street”. It was found that these 243 heroin addicts had committed more than 473,000 crimes. As measured by crime-days, the average addict committed over 178 offenses per year and almost 2,000 offenses during his post-onset lifetime. Although the predominant offense committed was theft (as with most populations of criminals), these addicts were also involved in a wide range of other crimes: drug sales, robbery, forgery, pimping, assault, and murder. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the impact of arrest and incarceration upon the lifetime criminality of these addicts. These research results provide a means for estimating the extent of criminality among heroin addicts throughout the United States. Our calculations indicate that the 450,000 heroin addicts in the United States commit more than 50,000,000 crimes per year and that their lifetime criminality exceeds 819,000,000 offenses.