Research Reports
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways, 1998
Threats to Tribal Sovereignty, 1998
Traditional American Indian Leadership: A Comparison with U.S. Governance, 1997
Alcohol/Drugs and Crime
Indian communities are acutely aware of problems associated with a high prevalence of alcohol use. National data indicates that binge-drinking rates are higher in the American Indian population as compared to other groups. Indians also experience higher rates of alcohol-related injuries and death. An analysis of national data by the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates extensive impact of alcohol abuse on crime. This analysis also links alcohol and crime. It found 4 in 10 violent victimizations, 4 in 10 fatal motor vehicle accidents, and 4 in 10 offenders self-report that they used alcohol at the time of the offense. It further reports that alcohol and/or drugs are often involved in violent crimes where victims provide data about the offender alcohol use (35%). In situations involving violence by an intimate partner, 66% of victims reported alcohol use by the offender. While arrests and fatal accidents involving alcohol have declined in recent years, DUI and DWI offenses are still significant issues for law enforcement personnel.
Participants indicate that alcohol contributes in numerous ways to disparities in the criminal justice system. Several note that alcohol and drug use was a driving factor to criminal activity and incarceration.
“Substance abuse and alcohol is just one factor that I see.”
“I think they walk around empty, because it’s like our children nowadays have dead eyes, there is no spirit there. And so do our people. I go to Minneapolis and I see so many of our men folks walking around with dead eyes and I see some women with them and they still seem like they are trying … alcohol is not letting them loose and they can’t let it loose … then I see the women walking around with black eyes and broken teeth and I think to myself, that’s what they call Indian love… you can keep it, I don’t want it … but I do believe it is the money the alcohol and the drugs that send our people to prison.”
“… and as far as going to jail and I remember a lot of the young people, they were a lot older than myself at the time, their biggest problem was alcohol and this was back in the ‘50s and how they managed to get alcohol they did. … A lot of young men, I remember seeing them walking around and they were drunk and just raising heck all of the time.”
“So I know that through statistics, statistically there’s a high correlation of substance abuse and alcoholism involved with most American Indians that find themselves incarcerated … American Indians are using or abusing alcohol or substances at the times that they commit a lot of their offenses …I’m not saying that it causes them to do it, but they are under the influence and continue to struggle with alcoholism and substance abuse.”
“What drives the criminal arena here is drugs – not the same kind of drugs that were around in the early 70s or 80s. The quantities of drugs are significant. The large dealers are in it purely for money.”
Several participants express the belief that alcohol abuse is likely a residual effect of historical acts of mistreatment perpetuated on their community, as opposed to a personal weakness. From this vantage point, alcohol and drug use are seen as a symptom of a much larger societal issue.
“That’s goes back to our leaders’ years ago, like Sitting Bull and all our leaders. They were having ceremonies to get away from the problems. As time went on, they went to the wrong kind of medicine: alcohol. We call that bad water.”
“Nothing but pain. And a lot of people don’t even know they’re in pain. So they’ll never deal with it. They’ll always make this guy rich by doing that revolving door, because they’re hurting and they’re just covering it and their pain with alcohol and the drugs and the gangs – they’re lost. They’re not alive.”
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE) result from the use of alcohol during pregnancy. These are known to cause birth defects and disabilities that have long-term effects. Children are diagnosed with FAS when they exhibit symptoms resulting from damage to the nervous system including growth delay, abnormal facial features, and documentation of a mother’s drinking during pregnancy. Other alcohol related birth defects include learning, emotional, and behavioral problems that result from damage to the brain or nervous system. The incidence of FAS and FAE for those involved in the criminal justice system, including residents of correctional facilities, remains unknown. It is possible that American Indians, who experience higher rates of alcohol abuse and addiction, also suffer from long term effects of FAS/FAE. This factor could also contribute to impulsive behaviors exhibited by those who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system.
Women and Substance Use in the Childbearing Years. Minnesota Department of Health, FAS,
An Analysis of National Data on the Prevalence of Alcohol Involvement in Crime. (1998) U.S. Department of Justice
About Alcohol Related Birth Defects, Minnesota Department of Health, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, 2003.
The
Well-Being of American Indian Children in Minnesota: Economic Conditions,
1994
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