Alcohol and Alcoholism Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 60-65, 2000
© 2000 Medical Council on Alcoholism
A COMPARISON OF SUBSTANCE USE BETWEEN FEMALE INMATES AND FEMALE SUBSTANCE MISUSERS IN TREATMENT
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 800 NE 15th Street, Suite 410, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 and
1 State of Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Received 6 November 1998; first review notified 17 May 1999; accepted 20 May 1999
Recent literature documents extensive substance misuse histories among US female prison inmates. The primary purpose of the present study was to determine whether histories of personal and familial substance misuse distinguished female inmates from substance misusers in treatment. After accounting for drug-related offences, we hypothesized that the inmates would have more extensive histories of personal and familial substance misuse and that they would have initiated substance use at an earlier age. Contrary to our expectations, the two samples were similar on many measures of alcohol and drug use. Similarly, differences in family histories of substance misuse were not in the predicted direction. As hypothesized, however, the inmates did report earlier age at onset of drinking. Of particular clinical relevance was the finding that, despite similar alcohol consumption levels, inmates reported fewer alcohol-related adverse medical, legal, and psychosocial consequences than did the treatment sample.