Discrepant values, correlated measures: cross-city and longitudinal comparisons of self-reports and urine tests of cocaine use among arrestees

doi:10.1016/0047-2352(93)90054-Q

Journal of Criminal Justice

Volume 21, Issue 3, 1993, Pages 223-230

https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2352(93)90054-Q Get rights and content

Abstract

The validity of offenders' reports of illegal drug use has been challenged with data from the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program showing large discrepancies between arrestees' self-reports of cocaine use and the results of urine tests. The underreporting of drug use within populations, however, does not invalidate self-reports as indicators of drug use across populations if the ratio between self- reports and more objective indicators is reasonably stable. The study reported here tested this hypothesis with cross-sectional data from 13 DUF sites and longitudinal data from the St. Louis DUF program. The cross-city and longitudinal analyses both show a strong relationship between self-reports and urine tests for recent cocaine use by male arrestees that holds up under alternative model specifications and sample configurations. If these results are reproduced in subsequent research, they may have wide application in criminal justice settings and could reduce reliance on drug testing to estimate drug use for populations.

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Discrepant values, correlated measures: cross-city and longitudinal comparisons of self-reports and urine tests of cocaine use among arrestees

Abstract

Trend and deviation in crime rates: A comparison of UCR and NCS data for robbery and burglary

Crim

Drug use forecasting in St. Louis: A three year report

Urine testing of detained juveniles to identify high-risk youth

Validation of self-report: The research record

The validity of self-reported drug use among arrestees

Measuring delinquency

High prevalence of recent cocaine use and the unreliability of patient self-report in an inner-city walk-in clinic

JAMA