Drug Crime Class 1

Administrative Give quiz Return journals and paper proposals Collect paper proposals? Meaning of mid-term grades

Review Corporate Crime The corporate crime myth is the opposite of all the others Dying for a Job and Bernie Madoff and the Scamming of America

Today Drug Crime Myths History of Drug Regulation Contemporary Drug Regulation Key Ideas from Today

I. Drug Crime Myths Can you identify myths about drug crimes? Distinction between legal drugs and illegal drugs? Legal drugs and age limits

II. History of Drug Regulation 19th Century Early 20th Century

II. History of Drug Regulation Prohibition Drug policy has remained one of prohibition

III. Contemporary Drug Regulation 1970 Controlled Substances Act (federal) Rockefeller Drug Laws (New York) How Dealers were defined How Did These Laws Work?

III. Contemporary Drug Regulation Later Approaches Federal Sentencing Guidelines Changes in state laws

IV. Key Ideas from Today’s Class Drug Crime Myths We did not always deal with drugs through the criminal justice system Much of our drug law regime is based on myths and propaganda Little evidence that punitive drug laws reduce drug use

Next Time Continue with drug crime Focusing in particular on drug policies

Drug Crime Class 2

Administrative Return quiz Any paper proposals to hand in? Reminder, chapters in K&P are not always in order on the syllabus

Review Drug myths Drug regulation

Today Drug Crime Panic Impact of the drug regulation regime Effect of drugs Sensible drug policy Key Ideas from Today

I. Drug Crime Panic – Crack Babies Typical crime myth scenario Crack baby hysteria fed by the media Interpretation of the data Served as excuse to toughen laws on crack use

II. Impact of Drug Regulation Regime Impact on drug use Impact of drugs on crime

II. Impact of Drug Regulation Regime Impact on poor and minority communities The “War on Drugs”

III. Effects of Drugs How dangerous are various controlled substances? To users and to other parties? Compared to various legal substances What is the source of the danger? Nature of the drug problem

IV. Sensible Drug Policy Policy Debates Drug policy choices Law Enforcement Prevention and Treatment

IV. Sensible Drug Policy Drug policy choices Public Health Approach Legalization

V. Key Ideas from Today Drug addiction often starts with prescription drugs that are over-prescribed Have dealt with drugs via prohibition Drug panics such as crack baby panic often based on hysteria rather than hard facts Many of the alleged consequences of drugs are really consequences of drug regulation regime What would be more sensible policies?

Next Time Youth Crime