Failed drug tests commonly lead to technical violations and revocation hearings for probationers. The current study extends these observations by examining whether multisubstance-using probationers also have increased odds of arrest in the community. This is important as multisubstance-using probationers may present unique public safety challenges to community corrections agencies and require intensive treatment resources and additional monitoring. Using data from a county-level probation cohort (N = 2,257) from 2009 to 2010, a series of logistic regression analyses estimated the effects of multisubstance use on the odds of being arrested for a new offense while in the community. The findings revealed that multisubstance use and the frequency of multisubstance use increased the odds of arrest while on probation when compared with single-substance users. We discuss how agencies may best supervise multisubstance-using probationers and suggest directions for further examination.
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