Demographic Factors, Forensic Profile, Substance Abuse and Crime in Violent Offenders at a Maximum Security Prison in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction The link between alcohol/drugs and violent criminal behavior is well documented, with alcohol/drug abusing behaviors connecting to crime in many ways. Crime is not only related to the possession or sell of illegal drugs, but also to drug related behavioral effects such as violence [1]. Alcohol/drug abuse has been implicated with offences directly related to drug abuse [2], or to life style that predisposes the drug abuser to engage in illegal activities [3]. Individuals who abuse alcohol/drugs are more likely to commit crimes including violent crimes, which are committed by such individuals who had abused alcohol/drugs either prior to offence or at the time of committing such offence [1]. The pharmacological properties of alcohol/drugs can be of effect to an individual particularly when taken at a high dose. It might inhibit and lead to impulsivity, aggression, abusiveness, argumentativeness, agitation and grandiosity in the abuser, which ultimately results in the impairment of judgment and violent crimes. Substance use, abuse and dependence are more common in the criminal justice population than the general population [4-5]. A study conducted at a maximum security prison in Nigeria among awaiting trial and convicted inmates, showed that 60% of the inmates had used alcohol and illegal drugs before their current offense, 37.3% were charged with an offence of armed Abstract Background: Violent criminal behavior has been linked to multiple factors among which are the abuses of alcohol/drugs, resulting in various prison terms. The relationship between violent criminal behavior and abuse of alcohol/drugs continue to be an area of debate with the two being related through shared risk-factors. The study aimed at exploring whether substance abuse in violent offenders occur frequently with criminal behavior and any specific demographic factors and/or forensic profile using secondary data.