Nearly two thirds of Austin's chronic 'petty' offenders are arrested for alcohol or substance abuse-related crimes such as public intoxication.
Most offenders serve jail time rather than pay fines.
Once released, many end up back in jail. New evidence, however, suggests that such crimes, if unchecked, feed public anxiety about personal safety, which ultimately leads to the deterioration of neighborhoods and communities as fear causes people to retreat and avoid dangerous areas, such as the central business district, where one third of all such crimes in Austin occur. The UT study found that one quarter of all offenders in Austin were homeless. Homeless offenders accounted for two out of three repeat offenders. Alcohol or other intoxicating substances also were involved in two out of three arrests.