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Drugs and Crime. Policy. 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
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Drugs and Crime Policy
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
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
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
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
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
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 Legal classification
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 Legal
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
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
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)
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
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.”
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
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
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)
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