Anthony Potts has been convicted of an alcohol-related driving offense and has been sentenced to 3 years probation as part of his sentence, and his case has been assigned to you. His court docket number is 55555, and his probation case file number is 11111-A. Mr. Potts has been married to Anna Potts for 18 years, and they have two children: Sarah, age 10, and Cindy, age 11. Mr. Potts owns a chain of retail stores, works long hours during the week and on the weekends, and has not been an involved father because he spends most of his time working. His pattern has been to go out to various restaurants and bars with his partners after the stores close at 9:30 p.m. and drink alcohol until closing. He has then typically driven home under the influence of alcohol. You meet with Mrs. Potts, who is very guarded in her discussions with you about her husband’s drinking history. What you can learn from Mrs. Potts includes police involvement a few times during the marriage due to the drinking, long nights where Mr. Potts kept the family awake in his drunken rages, and very poor communication between Mrs. Potts and Mr. Potts.
The court has asked for a probation report within 60 days with information pertaining to whether Mr. Potts has a possible alcohol problem.
As a new probation officer, you are not familiar with alcohol-related issues. You discuss this case with your supervisor at your weekly supervision session and explain what the court has asked for.
Your supervisor, Probation Officer Rexford, asks you to submit him a report, which will include citations, outlining the following:
- In what way is Mr. Potts’s usage of alcohol considered abuse?
- Do you believe that Mr. Potts’s habits reflect alcoholism according to the DSM-IV? Why or why not?
- How much of a role do you believe inheritance plays in alcohol abuse?
- If inheritance plays a significant role in Mr. Potts’s alcoholism, how much responsibility does Mr. Potts have for his actions?