Publication: A Study On Drug Use And Criminal Behaviours Of Criminal Offenders In The State Of Penang
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Date
2023-01
Authors
Hadep Singh, Balber Singh
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Abstract
People who use drugs (PWUDs) tend to commit crime under the influence of
drugs compare with people without drug use history. Though researchers have argued
that drug use can cause people to engage in crime, however, the relationship between
drug use and crime seems insufficiently investigated. This study aims to investigate
the criminal profile of Police detainees who were caught under the Penal Code (Act
574) for various crime offenses between June and December 2019 in the Northeast and
Southwest Districts of Penang State. A total of 73 Police detainees were recruited
through convenience sampling for this cross-sectional study. Majority were males
(93%, n=68/73), most Malays (58%, n=42/73), and the sample’s mean age in this study
was 32.8 years (SD=8.13). About 16% (n=12/73) of the detainees had previous drug
rehabilitation history, while 55% (n=40/73) had been incarcerated before. Fifty-six
percent (n=41/73) of the detainees were detained for non-violent offenses (e.g.,
property crime), and 44% for violent offenses (e.g., gang robbery, physical assault,
etc.) under the Penal Code (Act 574). Of this, 81% (n=59/73) of the offenses were
categorised as bailable offenses. As for their drug use status, 62% (n=45/73) of the
detainees tested positive for illicit drug use, most (53%) for amphetamine-type
stimulant (ATS) and opiate (18%), when they were brought into detention. Sixty-eight
percent (n=50/73) of the detainees had illicit drug use history. Most (59%, n=43/73)
reported committing crime individually, and 41% usually committed crime with their
acquaintances. About 8% held dangerous weapons while committing crime, and 41%
(n=30/73) claimed that they were ordered by their superiors to commit crime.
Description
Keywords
Drug Use , Criminal Behaviours , Penang