How do officers identify substance abusers?
There are several ways. Defendants or offenders may simply tell their officers that they have a substance abuse problem. Repeat offenders may have been identified previously as drug users. Or, officers, who are trained to look for the physical and behavioral signs of substance abuse, may determine that a person has a problem. Officers may identify these persons through information in records and reports (including information from state and local law enforcement agencies), interviews with the individuals and their families, or drug testing. Also, many officers use formal evaluations and testing methods to screen for substance abuse. One important consideration in identifying substance abusers is whether they also suffer from mental health problems. These are “dual diagnosis” cases and require officers to develop supervision plans that address both problems.
