Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Medical Building II, No. 155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, 112, Taiwan.
Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
Harm Reduct J. 2024 Jun 5;21(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12954-024-01010-0.
Drug-involved individuals who contact treatment services in Taiwan are mostly driven by criminal justice systems either as an alternative or adjunct to criminal sanctions for a drug offence. With a focus on justice-involved young female drug users, the present study examines the extent to which socioeconomic and motherhood characteristics are associated with receiving deferred prosecution, a scheme diverting drug offenders to community-based addiction treatment.
We identified a cohort of 5869 women under the age of 30 arrested for using Schedule II drugs (primarily amphetamine-like stimulants) from the 2011-2017 National Police Criminal Records in Taiwan. Information concerning socioeconomic characteristics, pregnancy and live birth history, and deferred prosecution was obtained through linkage with the 2006-2019 National Health Insurance, birth registration, and deferred prosecution datasets. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the association with stratification by recidivism status.
Within six months of arrest, 21% of first-time offenders (n = 2645) received deferred prosecution and 23% received correction-based rehabilitation; the corresponding estimates for recidivists (n = 3224) were 6% and 15%, respectively. Among first-time offenders, low/unstable income was associated with lower odds of deferred prosecution (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.88). For recidivists, those with low/unstable income (aOR = 1.58) or unemployment (aOR = 1.58) had higher odds of correction-based rehabilitation; being pregnant at arrest was linked with reduced odds of deferred prosecution (aOR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.71) and correction-based rehabilitation (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.77).
For the young women arrested for drug offences, disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions were generally unfavored by the diversion to treatment in the community. Childbearing upon arrest may lower not only the odds of receiving medical treatment but also correctional intervention. The criminal prosecution policy and process should be informed by female drug offenders' need for treatment and recovery.
在台湾，因涉毒而联系治疗服务的个人大多是出于刑事司法系统的驱动，将其作为毒品犯罪的替代或附加刑事处罚。本研究关注的是，年轻女性涉毒者中有多少人因社会经济和母亲身份特征而获得暂缓起诉，这是一种将毒品罪犯转移到社区成瘾治疗的方案。
我们从台湾 2011-2017 年国家警察犯罪记录中确定了一个年龄在 30 岁以下的因使用附表二药物（主要是安非他命类兴奋剂）被捕的 5869 名女性队列。通过与 2006-2019 年国家健康保险、出生登记和暂缓起诉数据集的链接，获得了有关社会经济特征、怀孕和活产史以及暂缓起诉的信息。多分类逻辑回归用于评估分层复发状态的关联。
在被捕后的六个月内，21%（n=2645）的初犯者和 23%（n=3224）的累犯者获得了暂缓起诉，相应的估计值分别为 6%和 15%接受基于矫正的康复治疗。在初犯者中，低收入/不稳定收入与较低的暂缓起诉可能性相关（调整后的优势比[aOR]=0.71；95%CI：0.58，0.88）。对于累犯者，低收入/不稳定收入（aOR=1.58）或失业（aOR=1.58）的人获得基于矫正的康复治疗的可能性更高；被捕时怀孕与暂缓起诉（aOR=0.31，95%CI：0.13，0.71）和基于矫正的康复治疗（aOR=0.50，95%CI：0.32，0.77）的可能性降低有关。
对于因毒品犯罪被捕的年轻女性来说，不利的社会经济条件通常不利于社区治疗的转移。被捕时生育不仅会降低接受治疗的可能性，还会降低接受矫正干预的可能性。女性毒品罪犯的治疗和康复需求应告知刑事起诉政策和程序。
