Drug Society and Crime

1. Explain what is meant by the “war on drugs,” and analyze the impact this war has had on the American criminal justice system.

The process of fighting drugs leads to unavoidable circumstances that that contribute to increased violence around the world as well as contributed to mass incarceration in the US despite making drugs less accessible and the reduction of potential levels of drug abuse (Provine, 2011). In America for example, the war on drugs is not expensive, but the longest running. After forty-five years since it was launched, it has destroyed families, separated children from their parents, people have died, has increased poverty for minority communities and such (Levinthal, 2007). This exercise has criminalized people on the basis of color. War on drugs comprises of national calls, mundane local decisions and such have led to mass incarceration of only the people of color. Building on sociological theory, where people come from exposes them to different situations, for example, lack of education and poverty among black people has made them a target for drug abuse and other related activities (Levinthal, 2007). This takes us to the relationship between race, unemployment, drug taking, and crime.

2. Discuss the effects drug policy enforcement has had upon special populations, as well as the arrest and incarceration rates for drug offenses in the United States.

The war on drugs is carried out through utilizing technique meant for reducing the consumption of illegal substances within the community. To illustrate, the policies put in place to support the war on drugs have demoralized people from black communities in that about 62% of the people that we have in prison today are people of color (Presser & Sandberg, 2015). According to statistics, 1out of 4 African American men born today face the likelihood of imprisonment because of drug-related issues. In the US black men are five times likely to go through incarceration in both federal and state prisons (Mowen & Visher, 2015). Despite these numbers, the effects of war on drugs are devastating. There are millions of homes without parents and other heartbreaking problems such as addiction and all that. Because the marginalized communities struggle with lack of education and job opportunities, they tend to turn to drug dealing for survival (Levinthal, 2007). In the employment world, people deny people of color job opportunities because of discrimination. As a result, they end up engaging in illegal drug activities. This ‘’war” has left a wound on black people and it still rages.

3. Summarize how the three categories of criminological theory covered in class – biological, psychological, or sociological – explain drug use. Which category of theory do you think would be best used to develop new drug policies?

There are three major group of criminological theories that can facilitate establishment of new drug policies. The first framework is social theory and it provides that people are naturally susceptible to pleasure, personal hobbies, and deviant behavior (Oetting & Donnermeyer, 1998). As such, the theory offers that people can engage in addictive behavior were it not for social restraint. Because of the societal expectations, binds people from committing such behavior. The more the social bond is weak, the more people will engage in drug use because they no longer have watched over them. It is why when people join colleges tend to engage in drug use because they are free (Levinthal, 2007). On the other hand, social influence can provoke one into drug use. If one’s friends and family engage in drug abuse, can make one a drug addict as well.

Second, biological theory denotes that people who come from families where the parents used drugs are most likely to use drugs as well (Lettieri, 1980). It is because drug use at times is gene inheritance. A parent who uses drugs will pass their genes to their children, and if they are in environments that people use drugs, it triggers them (Levinthal, 2007). Therefore, it is important to check at family history about drug use and addiction to understand why the victim is behaving the way they do. When one can understand that they can inherit the drug dependency gene, they are most likely to stay away from the problem. 

Third, psychological theory indicates that mental disorders can cause drug addiction. Mental disorders are such as mood disturbances, cognitive difficulties, as well as other mental illnesses (Drummond, 2001). At times, mental diseases can occur together and add to the likelihood of addiction. Some personalities contribute to addictive factors such as self-denial, lack of emotional regulation, and problems with impulse regulation. Therefore, the psychological well-being of a person can make them susceptible to drug use. People with mental illness tend to take to drugs because it helps them escape their condition. 

4. Select one or more of the various criminal justice policies or responses to drug abuse and misuse. Explain which policy approach you think offers the best response to the drug problem. Support your response with cited and referenced sources.

To make the war on drugs effective, it is essential to incorporate all the above theories and find out which people are in environments or have conditions that can make them addicted to drugs (Bobo & Thompson, 2006). War on drugs is useless if what the government is doing is catching the drug users.  The best approach would be to identify the root cause of drug dependency and find ways of helping the victims’ instead of waging war on them. Without drug users, drug activities would not be present. Social theory, biological theory, and psychological theory explain why people engage in drugs. By educating the society from the theoretical perspective will help them understand the dangers and the situations that could lead them to drugs (Levinthal, 2007). War on drugs is not just about pursuing drug users and traders, it is also about addressing the root cause, and that is the only time the government will win.

References

Bobo, L. D., & Thompson, V. (2006). Unfair by design: The war on drugs, race, and the legitimacy of the criminal justice system. Social Research: An International Quarterly, 73(2), 445-472.

Canter, D. & Donna, Y. (2016). Crime and society, 283-288.

Drummond, D. C. (2001). Theories of drug craving, ancient, and modern. Addiction, 96(1), 33-46.

Lettieri, D. J. (1980). Theories on drug abuse: Selected contemporary perspectives. Research 

Monograph, 30.

Levinthal, C. F. (2007). Drugs, society, and criminal justice. Allyn & Bacon.

Mowen, T. J., & Visher, C. A. (2015). Drug use and crime after incarceration: The role of family support and family conflict. Justice Quarterly, 32(2), 337-359.

Oetting, E. R., & Donnermeyer, J. F. (1998). Primary socialization theory: The etiology of drug use and deviance. I. Substance use & misuse, 33(4), 995-1026.

Presser, L., & Sandberg, S. (Eds.). (2015). Narrative criminology: Understanding stories of crime. New York, NYU Press.

Provine, D. M. (2011). Race and inequality in the war on drugs. Annual Review of Law and 

Social Science, 7, 41-60.