Association between socioeconomic and motherhood characteristics with receiving community-based treatment services among justice-involved young female drug users: a retrospective cohort study in Taiwan

Chen, Chuan-Yu; Hsieh, Tan-Wen; Rei, Wenmay; Huang, Cheng-Hsiung; Wang, Sheng-Chang

doi:10.1186/s12954-024-01010-0

Harm Reduction Journal

Table 1 Characteristics of Schedule II female drug offenders under age 30, by prior 5-year drug-related arrest^a (N = 5869)

From: Association between socioeconomic and motherhood characteristics with receiving community-based treatment services among justice-involved young female drug users: a retrospective cohort study in Taiwan

Variables	Drug offenders		Illegal drug offence in prior 5 years				p
	Drug offenders		First-time offenders		Recidivist offenders
	(n = 5869)		(n = 2645)		(n = 3224)
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Individual characteristics
Age (years)
25–29	2910	49.6	1054	39.9	1856	57.6	< 0.0001
18–24	2959	50.4	1591	60.1	1368	42.4
Marital status^b
Single	3935	67.1	1929	72.9	2006	62.2	< 0.0001
Married	893	15.2	320	12.1	573	17.8
Divorced or widowed	1033	17.6	390	14.7	643	19.9
Educational attainment^b
Senior high school or above	1455	24.8	753	28.5	702	21.8	< 0.0001
Junior high school	3820	65.1	1666	63.0	2154	66.8
Elementary school	527	9.0	185	7.0	342	10.6
Employment status upon arrest^b,c
Unemployed	2639	45.0	1024	38.7	1615	50.1	< 0.0001
Student	150	2.6	108	4.1	42	1.3
Employed	3045	51.9	1496	56.6	1549	48.1
Income level (by insurance status)^b
Low income (poverty)	146	2.5	68	2.6	78	2.4	< 0.0001
Unstable/no income	4041	68.9	1657	62.7	2384	74.0
Medium income	1421	24.2	806	30.5	615	19.1
High income	130	2.2	80	3.0	50	1.6
Being pregnant upon arrest
No	5516	94.0	2538	95.9	2978	92.4	< 0.0001
Yes	353	6.0	107	4.1	246	7.6
Having a young child
None	4518	77.0	2177	82.3	2341	72.6	< 0.0001
1	1015	17.3	368	13.9	647	20.1
2	283	4.8	89	3.4	194	6.0
≥ 3	53	0.9	11	0.4	42	1.3
Drug offence in prior five years
None	2645	45.1	2645	100.0	0	0	< 0.0001
Drug use only	1410	24.0	0	0.0	1410	43.8
Non-drug use only	469	8.0	0	0.0	469	14.5
Both	1345	22.9	0	0.0	1345	41.7
Drug offence more than five years before^d
No	5052	86.1	2520	95.3	2532	78.5	< 0.0001
Yes	817	13.9	125	4.7	692	21.5
Characteristics of the index arrest
Schedule II drug type
Amphetamine	4191	71.4	1581	59.8	2610	80.9	< 0.0001
Methamphetamine	519	8.8	180	6.8	339	10.5
MDMA/MMDA	870	14.8	696	26.3	174	5.4
Cannabis	79	1.4	69	2.6	10	0.3
Other (e.g., GHB, Codeine)	58	1.0	46	1.7	12	0.4
Two or more	152	2.6	73	2.8	79	2.5
Involvement in Schedule I drugs
Heroin	365	6.2	72	2.7	293	9.1	< 0.0001
Opioid/morphine	59	1.0	6	0.2	53	1.6
None	5445	92.8	2567	97.1	2878	89.3
Drug offence other than use (e.g., possession)
No	5455	92.9	2461	93.0	2994	92.9	0.7916
Yes	414	7.1	184	7.0	230	7.1
Prosecutorial decision
Awaiting	3381	57.6	1480	56.0	1901	59.0	< 0.0001
Receiving deferred prosecution	746	12.7	552	20.9	194	6.0
Correctional rehabilitation	1089	18.6	602	22.8	487	15.1
Incarceration	634	10.8	6	0.2	628	19.5
Death	19	0.3	5	0.2	14	0.4

^aDefined by zero records in the Police Criminal Record Processing System and Prison Entry and Exit registers
^bNumbers may not sum to 100% due to missingness (< 3%)
^cEmployment status was obtained from the Police Criminal Record Processing System
^dOnly in adulthood

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ISSN: 1477-7517

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