When does methadone treatment reduce arrest and severity of arrest charges? An analysis of arrest records

Abstract

This is an analysis of the odds of arrest, severity of charges, and factors predicting these outcomes in the year after methadone treatment entry using arrest records of patients (N=289) participating in two opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in Baltimore, MD as part of a previously-reported study. Baseline Addiction Severity Index data were examined along with publicly-available dates of arrest and arrest charges from the year before and after OTP entry. Severity of charges was rated independently by three researchers using a 1–7 point scale. Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations and Multiple Regression. The majority of the patients had no arrests over both time periods (61.6% and 65.7%, respectively). Of those arrested, the majority of the sample were charged with non-severe crimes in the year before and after OTP entry (82.9% and 73.7%, respectively). There were no significant differences in the odds of arrest or severity of charges in the year before versus the year after OTP admission (both p, s>0.05). Predictors of arrest following admission included an arrest in the year prior to admission (p<0.001), younger age (p<0.001), and more lifetime months of incarceration (p=0.045). Predictors of the higher severity of charges included younger age (p<0.001), African-American race (p=0.032), and more lifetime months of incarceration (p=0.018). While in this population, the odds of arrest and severity of charges did not decrease significantly in the year following OTP entry, we discuss the need to avoid generalizing findings without considering those factors that may influence the likelihood of post-OTP entry arrest.

Initiating buprenorphine treatment prior to versus after release from prison: Arrest outcomes

“…It has been noted that arrest underrepresents the amount of criminal behavior (Nurco, 1998). Policing policy and practices have an important influence on arrest rates, thus exposing research outcomes to secular trends (Schwartz et al, 2017). The population under study can also have an impact on the likelihood of arrest.…”

“…An alternative to self-report measures of criminal behavior is objective data from official arrest records. These data are not subject to underreporting, although they underestimate the number of crimes committed (Nurco, 1998) and are subject to fluctuations in local police practices (Schwartz et al, 2017). Nevertheless, capturing arrest data is of some importance given the impact of the number and types of arrests on the police, the judiciary, the correctional system, and their associated costs to society.…”

The consequences of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act for police arrests

“…Medicaid expansion also increased insurance coverage among people with heroin use disorders, but may not have increased uptake of treatment in this population [ 57 ]. While there is growing evidence suggesting which types of substance use disorder treatment reduce arrests [ 35 , 58 , 59 ], future research should assess whether our finding of the negative difference in drug arrests following Medicaid expansion was due to increased access to substance use treatment, or whether our findings are explained by other mechanisms such as improved financial wellbeing following insurance coverage [ 27 ]. Although such analyses were not possible with the publicly-available data used in this study, our results suggest changes to health insurance policy reduced the criminalization of substance use problems.…”