Objective: In this first study on the patients who applied to the Probation Ward in the Eastern Anatolian Region of Erzurum province, it is aimed to compare the sociodemographic data of the patients with the substance use characteristics and other legal crimes.

Method: Between December 2015 and February 2016, 132 patients who applied for the first time to the Erzurum DS polyclinic were included in the study. The sociodemographic data form prepared by the researchers participating in the research was applied.

Results: All of the 132 cases involved in the study were men. While 49.2% of the patients had multiple substance use, cannabis was found to be the highest substance alone at 45.4% level. We found that smoking and alcohol use started earlier than substance use and that alcohol and cigarette use were high. Considering the impact of multiple substance use on the sociodemographic data, a significant difference was found between early substance use age, substance abuse existence in the past month, the first cigarette smoking age, self-harm behavior presence, the existence of additional criminal cases and the existence of previous psychiatric treatment history. There was a significant positive correlation between the age of first substance use and the age, the age of first cigarette use and the age of first alcohol use. Finally, when the groups with and without prison stories are compared in terms of self-harm behavior, a significant difference was found.

Conclusion: Reviewing the sociodemographic data of individuals with probation application will guide clinicians in defining the group in which more preventive measures will be taken for substance use.