DOI: 10.3886/icpsr06527
title: Hair Assays for Drugs of Abuse in a Probation Population: Pilot Study in a Florida Correctional Field Setting, 1993
title: Archival Version

description: The major objectives of this research project were: (1) to
 evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of hair and urine assays
 in determining drug use among probationers, (2) to examine the
 concordance patterns of hair and urine specimens, (3) to explore the
 perceptions and attitudes of probation officers regarding the use of hair
 assays for drug testing, and (4) to assess the feasibility of
 implementing hair analysis in a probationary field setting. The 22
 correctional officers who participated in this study were recruited
 from the Florida Department of Corrections Probation Field Services
 Divisions, and worked within Pinellas and Pasco counties. Each
 officer was requested to solicit from his or her caseload eight to ten
 probationers who would be eligible for the project because they would
 be undergoing at least monthly urinalysis or urine testing.
 Approximately 150 probationers participated in the project and were
 subject to hair assays for illicit drug use, along with standard urine
 testing. Specimens were collected and analyzed on 90
 probationers over a six-month period and on 101 probationers for five
 consecutive months, as well as fewer numbers of samples for the other
 probationers. The drugs for which the hair and urine specimens were
 analyzed included cocaine, opiates, cannabinoids such as marijuana,
 PCP, and methadone. Survey questions asked of the probation officers
 (Part 1) covered personal information (gender, ethnicity, education
 level, years of experience in corrections, and satisfaction with job)
 and attitudes and opinions about their jobs and drug testing
 (estimated percentage of caseload using drugs, whether all clients
 should be tested, and whether knowing drug quantities is helpful).
 Data in Part 2 cover probationers' drug test results and self-reported
 drug use, personal information (gender, age,
 weight, ethnicity, and criminal charge), a variety of hair questions
 (color, texture, style, length, how often shampooed, and if dyed,
 tinted, bleached, relaxed, or jeried), and use of medications, along
with the medication name and amount.
description: This project involved the recruitment and
 retention of approximately 150 probationers in Pinellas and Pasco
 counties, Florida, who were subject to hair assays and urine testing
 for illicit drug use over a period of time ranging from one to six
 months. The major objectives of this research project were: (1) to
 evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of hair and urine assays
 in determining drug use among probationers, (2) to examine the
 concordance patterns of hair and urine specimens, (3) to explore the
 perceptions and attitudes of probation officers regarding the use of
 hair assays for drug testing, and (4) to assess the feasibility of
 implementing hair analysis in a probationary field setting. The major
 distinction of this project is its focus on the evaluation of the
 difficulties and experiences associated with implementing a hair
 testing regimen in a correctional agency. The project did not
 institute a complete hair testing program. The project, however,
 sought to simulate major features of such an implementation. In that
 regard, the research project put emphasis on "normal work"
 integration and "real world" applicability. In this sense, the
 project sought to insert a simple hair specimen collection protocol in
 the normal working relationship between selected probation officers
and their probationer caseload.
description: The 22 correctional officers who participated in
 this study were recruited from the Florida Department of Corrections
 Probation Field Services Divisions, and worked within Pinellas and
 Pasco counties. Each officer was requested to approach and solicit
 from his or her caseload eight to ten probationers who would be
 eligible for the project because they would be undergoing at least
 monthly urine testing. The participation of all parties was voluntary,
 and the data were not used for any decisions regarding case
 disposition or treatment. Each probationer was required to sign an
 informed consent form. Probation officers were trained to collect hair
 specimens and to incorporate the hair collection procedure into their
 normal routine with their probationers. The project intended to
 recruit between 150-200 volunteer probationers with the supposition
 that approximately 100 would persist in participation for the entire
 six months of the project. Specimens were collected and analyzed on 90
 probationers over a six-month period and on 101 probationers for five
 consecutive months, as well as fewer numbers of samples for the other
 probationers. The drugs for which the hair and urine specimens were
 analyzed included cocaine, opiates, cannabinoids, PCP, and methadone.
 The urine samples were analyzed by EMIT using National Institute on
 Drug Abuse (NIDA)-recommended cutoff values. The hair samples were
 taken simultaneously with the urine specimens and were analyzed by the
 Psychemedics Corporation of Culver City, California. The cutoff values
 were the lowest recommended by the testing laboratory as detectable (2
 ng/10 mg for cocaine and opiates, .05 ng/10 mg for cannabinoids). Since
 the values for the hair assays are reported in actual concentrations,
manipulation of the cutoff values is readily done.
description: Survey questions asked of the probation officers
 (Part 1) covered personal information (gender, ethnicity, education
 level, years of experience in corrections, and satisfaction with job)
 and attitudes and opinions about their jobs and drug testing
 (estimated percentage of caseload using drugs, whether all clients
 should be tested, and whether knowing drug quantities is helpful).
 Data in Part 2 cover probationers' drug test results and self-reported
 drug use, personal information (gender, age, weight, ethnicity, and
 criminal charge), a variety of hair questions (color, texture, style,
 length, how often shampooed, and if dyed, tinted, bleached, relaxed,
 or jeried), and use of medications, along with the medication name and
amount.
description: Response Rates: The project initially was able to recruit
 approximately 150 volunteer probationers. There were 91 probationers
 who persisted for the entire six-month collection period of the
 project, although complete specimens were collected for 90 cases.
 Because the program was voluntary, and because attrition would occur
 in the sample group due to a variety of reasons, an approximate loss
 of 50 percent was anticipated. Cases were lost over the course of the
 project at a low but persistent rate, and the losses were not
 typically related to the research project itself, but to other
 situations of the individual probationers. Thus the 59.2 percent
 survival rate of volunteer probationers was within the initial
 objective of retaining 50 percent for the complete life of the
project.
description: Presence of Common Scales: None.
description: The 22 correctional officers who participated in this
 study were recruited from the Florida Department of Corrections
 Probation Field Services Divisions, and worked within Pinellas and
 Pasco counties. Each officer was requested to approach and solicit
 from his or her caseload eight to ten probationers who would be
 eligible for the project because they would be undergoing at least
monthly urine testing.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Officer Data File
DS2: Probationer Data File
description: Volunteer Florida Department of Corrections probationers of
Pinellas and Pasco counties between April 1993 and September 1993.
description: The data collection instruments are provided in one
 Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was
 developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using the
 Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the
 Acrobat Reader is provided in the README file on the diskette version
 of this study and through the ICPSR Website on the Internet. The data
 collection instruments are also available in hardcopy form upon
request from ICPSR.