Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Inmate Study Links Crime, Drug Habits

Violent offenses as well as simple thefts often are motivated by a need to buy illegal drugs, the Justice Department said in a report on a nationwide jailhouse survey. About 219,000 convicted offenders were surveyed on whether they committed their crimes to get drug money, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. It said that about one in three convicted robbers and burglars gave drug money as a motive. Also, about one in four violent offenders and nearly a third of those convicted of property crimes admitted to drug use at the time of their offenses. The study, based on questionnaires returned by 5,675 inmates in local jails in 1989, also found that 23% were held on drug-related cases, compared to about 9% in 1983, the last time a similar study was conducted. “These findings make clear the connection between illegal drugs and crime,” said Steven D. Dillingham, the bureau’s director.