1. Drugs and Crime Policy

2. Drug use and crime ► Psychoactive drugs: alter conscious awareness or perception ► Psychological dependency: person craves a drug ► Physiological addiction: body becomes biochemically dependent on a drug ► Tolerance: greater doses are necessary to produce the same effect

3. Drugs & crime ► Withdrawal: physical and psychological symptoms which develop in an addicted person when he or she abruptly stops or reduces intake of a drug ► Central nervous system depressants: remove social inhibitions, relieve anxiety, impair judgment. Include alcohol, barbiturates and minor tranquilizers

4. Drugs and crime: Pharmacological classification ► Central nervous system stimulants: addiction possible, stimulates alertness, wakefulness, euphoria; includes amphetamines, caffeine, nicotine and cocaine and its derivatives (crack, ice) ► Hallucinogens: non-addicting; effects include hallucinations, sense of timelessness & mystical insights; LSD, mescaline, psilocybin

5. Drugs and crime ► Narcotics: highly addicting, acts as an analgesic, euphoria; includes morphine, heroin, codeine and Demerol ► Phencyclidine (PCP): not addicting; causes mental confusion, unfocused aggression, pain relief ► Marijuana: not addicting, dose dependent effects

6. Legal classification of drugs ► Drugs classified from Schedule I Drugs to Schedule V, with I the most restricted and V the least restricted ► Classified based on: (1) medical usage; and (2) potential for abuse ► Note that alcohol is not included, yet if it were to be classified, it should be a Schedule I drug

7. Legal classification ► Schedule 1: high abuse potential, lack therapeutic utility and safety ► II: high abuse potential, but currently accepted for medical practice ► Heroin, LSD, peyote, PCP, mescaline ► Opium, cocaine, morphine, benzedrine, methadone, amphetamines

8. Legal ► Moderate abuse potential, utilized in medical practice ► IV: low abuse potential ► V: minimal abuse potential, currently used in medical practice ► Barbituates, amphetamines ► Darvon, phenobarbitol, valium ► Cough medicines with small amounts of narcotics

9. Substance abuse and criminality ► Clear link between drug use and criminality ► Alcohol ► Prison inmates 3 times as likely as other males the same age to drink 2+ oz. of liquor per day ► 25% indicated they had got drunk and hurt someone during last 3 years

10. Drugs and crime ► Alcohol involved in 2/3 of homicides in a Philadelphia study, about 40% of rape cases ► about 75% of arrestees have traces of illegal drugs in their systems (DUF studies) ► In a study of CA inmates, over 40% reported using “heavy drugs” in the last 3 years

11. Drugs and crime ► Heroin and crack have been most associated with chronic serious offenders ► Hypotheses ► 1. Psychopharmacological: drugs contribute to crime by reducing inhibitions (alcohol) or stimulating aggressive behavior (stimulants)

12. Drugs and Crime ► Economic Compulsivity hypothesis: Addiction to substances contribute to crime to support a habit. ► Studies of junkies have indicated that many commit crimes to obtain drugs ► Lifestyle hypothesis: Offenders both use drugs and commit crimes as part of a lifestyle

13. Drugs and crime ► Studies have found that some individuals commit crimes after becoming addicted (economic) ► Studies have also found that many abusers were committing crimes before beginning drug usage. During periods of addiction, crimes tended to increase considerably, referred to as “on a run.”

14. Drugs and crime ► For the latter group, decrease in substance abuse was associated with a decrease, but not stopping, criminal activity ► For a number of offenders, then, stopping drug use will not stop their criminal behavior, although crimes may decrease

15. Drugs and crime ► Drugs may also contribute to crime by adding to social disorder ► Encouraging illegal activities on the part of those already inclined to violence

16. Policies ► Reducing drunkenness through increased taxation and cultural discouragement ► Forbidding alcohol in public places to the convicted (perhaps through an altered driver’s license) ► Legalization of marijuana ► Reduce volume of serious drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin)

17. Policies ► Making treatment more readily available ► Targeting higher level drug dealers ► Long sentences for minor dealers takes up prison cells ► Police tactics focussing on blatant drug dealing (reducing disorder) ► More effective use of probation and parole ► Use of methadone