...targeting crime and especially rug related crimes. While it is clear that many of these young African Americans are going to prison due to drug related crimes, stopping the war on drugs altogether is not the solution. Although stopping the drug war may seem efficient for stopping the incarceration of young blacks in the present, it does not guarantee that these same people will not commit other crimes. The cost for stopping the drug war is allowing drug usage and distribution to run rampant which can cause the society and the neighborhoods around the areas to become unsafe. Alexander discusses how there is no way around this issue and dismantling the system of mass incarceration is the only resolution; however if these poor neighborhoods were funded with government money, drug abuse can potentially become lower or even be stopped. Alexander is also discussing how a handful of reforms cannot be a solution to the problem. She argues that all the financial grants that are given to police departments for drug arrests and racial profiling should be halted. She believes that by halting the funding and supplies of mass incarceration are only scratching the surface of social reform. She believes there must be a change in the culture of law enforcement. By stopping mass incarceration Alexander believes that, that is the first step in racial integration. The costs of stopping mass incarceration are high for the government and prison systems. By stopping their reimbursements, drug related...
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...Based on the information I learned in this Chapter, I cannot necessarily say that drug use causes crime. However, there is a casual relationship between drug use and crime but that doesn’t mean that this is true all the time. Since drug use isn’t the cause for all crimes, all the time then I would state that for sure. So therefore, I would say that drug use and crime is correlated to each other, very strongly. However, it is still impossible to say either of one of these two variables effect the other. The reason is because for every crime we cannot say drug causes crime, it could be other trends that causes crime. To assess the construct validity of research on drug and crime, we have to take the time out to think about different patterns...
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...Citation: S.E. Costanza and Ronald Helms. "Street Gangs and Aggregate Homicides: An Analysis of Effects During the 1990s Violent Crime Peak" Homicide Studies 16(3): 280-307. June 11, 2012. Online. June 12, 2013. City-level violence escalated and peaked during the 1990’s, which possibly caused a similarly high homicide rate. Many studies have linked gang activity with higher rates of violent crimes. This study uses empirical research to link gang violence with homicide rates. A majority of studies only looked at the micro level of gang attribute violence and homicide correlation. Costanza focused on the macro level using 154 U.S. cities to determine if active gangs directly correlated with homicide rates. Criminologist in the 1990’s paid special attention to the structural factors contributing to the all-time peak of violence in the young men demographic. Researchers have remained focused on the patterns of homicide within the context of the violence peak in the 90’s. Costanza chose to “focus explicitly on the plausible empirical link between street gangs and homicide offending in central cities throughout the Unites States”. The factors that lead to an increase in homicide include the drug market, guns, and gang presence. Recent studies have shown that it is a combination of factors, as opposed to just financial opportunity, that lead to gang membership. The reason for the lack of macro level studies of gang violence has been due to the lack of gang related studies. Maxson...
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...to determine the causes of crime. Two commonly recognized theories, the choice theory and the social conflict theory, highlight very different perspectives to explain why individuals commit crime. The choice theory suggests that a person commits a crime because they choose to. This choice happens during a moment when a person will weigh the consequences of committing a crime to decide whether the reward is worth it. Theorists believe that a person can think rationally through the decision-making process of committing a crime. The rewards may be financial and can also be sensual. The criminal may be seduced by the rush they may feel when committing the crime. In contrast, the social conflict theory deals less with the psychology of committing a crime and suggests power is the root cause of crime. This theory suggests that the real crimes exist in society through means of “poverty, racism, sexism, and destruction of the environment” (p. 37, Gaines & Miller, 2006). Furthermore, crimes are suggested to be reactions to this power because criminals view laws as a form of repression. Capitalism is also thought to have a negative influence on society and fuels frustration because of the disparity people feel seeking unattainable rewards. Crime trends provide useful data to help criminologists test theories and create a clearer understanding of the causation of crime. A crime trend that is strengthened by statistical evidence is drugs and alcohol and its relationship...
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...RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIME AND JUSTICE CHAPTER 1 – THE RESEARCH PRACTICE Chapter Review Questions Respond to each of the following questions using the information from this chapter. 1. During a recent meeting of the command staff at a mid-sized police department, the chief asks the patrol captain for his recommendation for new flashlights. The captain responds, “I did a little research and I recommend that we purchase the DryLight, Model X flashlight”. The patrol captain’s research consisted of “asking a few of the officers” what they thought would be a good flashlight. Did the patrol captain actually conduct research? Why or why not? ANSWER: Technically, the patrol captain did some research. He conducted interviews which is a form of data collection. One could argue, however, that the patrol captain’s research was limited (pp. 7-8). 2. Respond to the following statement in 3-5 sentences: Conducting research in the social sciences and in criminal justice in particular is easier than in other sciences because the things we measure are so vague that nobody really cares if we get it right or not. ANSWER: Generally speaking, social science research is more challenging than some of the ‘hard sciences’ because the things social scientists study are difficult to measure objectively. As a result social scientists spend a great deal of time justifying how they measure concepts to their peers (pp. 4-5). 3. Read the following scenarios and identify which of the following...
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...ResearchJamey Calvery Developmental Associations Between Externalizing Behaviors, Peer Delinquency, Drug use, Perceived Neighborhood Crimes, and Violent Behaviors in Urban Communities Jamey Calvery Developmental Associations Between Externalizing Behaviors, Peer Delinquency, Drug use, Perceived Neighborhood Crimes, and Violent Behaviors in Urban Communities Developmental Associations Between Externalizing Behaviors, Peer Delinquency, Drug use, Perceived Neighborhood Crimes, and Violent Behaviors in Urban Communities This research is aimed at finding correlations between certain behaviors and mentalities exhibited by adolescence and corresponding patterns of behavior seen in those individuals as adults. The researchers collected information for the subjects at four different periods over the course of the study. The group of subjects used in this research is comprised of Puerto Ricans and African-Americans in an urban environment. The basic hypothesis of this research is that there is a traceable and predictable pattern of behavior exhibited by the subjects in the study as they progressed from adolescence into adulthood. The research indicates that adults who are demonstrating violent behaviors moved through a series of stages as they grew up. The purpose of the study appears to be an effort to create a model of prevention. The study finds that adolescence with exposure to certain variables, such as drug use and criminal or socially rebellious behavior from peers...
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...in life demand your immediate attention like gun violence. These events are always shocking and bring about deep emotions that can take us on quixotic crusades, resulting in ineffective and restrictive regulations. Universal evidence and correlations have long been offered as proof of the mantra that more guns mean more violence and fewer guns, therefore, mean less violence (Godwin 281). While the hearts and souls of the regulatory author are well placed, all too often the resulting debate is rooted in erroneous statistics and unrepresentative comparisons. To illustrate Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced Assault Weapons Ban legislation that would ban any weapon with a grip on the premise they are too easy to get and used too often for bad (Feinstein). The NRA states “the average annual number of background checks for the last five years, 2007-2011, is 25 percent higher than for NICS’ first five complete years, 1999-2003” (NRA). The NRA also states “In 2009 alone some 1,868,268 pistols were imported or exported by U.S. manufacturers, according to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) data (NRA). If the old mantra holds true overall crime should be on the rise; however, a 2011 FBI Uniform Crime Report shows violent crime is continuing a decade long downward trend and is down 3.8% from 2010. The recent massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary has overwhelmingly drowned any positive statistics. While this event is truly an unspeakable, horrible, tragedy eventually...
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...immigrants were the first to introduce the recreational use of marijuana to the American culture. The drug and its effects along with the fear and prejudice about the newcomers...
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...Name Course Tutor Date Drug, Alcohol, and Crime Introduction Alcohol refers to an intoxication ingredient that’s found in wine, beer, and liquor while a drug relates to any substance apart from food that if smoked, inhaled, injected, consumed or is dissolved under the tongue it results in a physiological change of the body. The combination of the two might lead in a crime which is can be denoted as unlawful practices that are punishable by the law. Alcohol and drugs contribute much to the high rate of the offence in most societies though considering other risk factors such as child exposure to violence and mental or biological health. The risk factors aside research have examined alcohol and drug abuse to be the major contributor to crime. The relationship of narcotics to crime is quite complex and yet controversial; the puzzling question is whether people who use drugs are already crime oriented or is there a direct connection between drugs and alcohol consumption to criminal activities. Taking a case study of the Australian community it has been documented that the estimated cost of alcohol and drug-related crime range from $1.96 billion to over $4 billion. The statistics are quite the same to every as alcohol and drugs prove to be the biggest ingredient to spark up the crime. Through observational study, it has been identified that illegal drug users who engage in intensive drug use are bound to amplify and take part in pre-existing criminal activities. This has sensitized...
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...The Correlation between Emotional Intelligence and Instable Personality in Substance Abusers. ------------------------------------------------- Abstract Background Substance dependence has recently turned into one of the most important social problems. Clinical findings have shown personality traits, social relations, attitudes and values, along with emotional intelligence factors such as emotions, feelings, emotions management, challenging with problems, problem solving, tolerating psychological pressure, impulse control, self esteem and interpersonal relations, to affect substance dependence. Consequently, understanding the meaning and developing tools for assessment of emotional intelligence are significantly vital in human psychological health. This study aimed to investigate the relation between emotional intelligence and instable personality in substance abusers. Methods The present correlational study selected 80 male addicts through available sampling. The subjects referred to the Therapeutic Community Center and Kimia, Yas, and Aban Clinics in Yazd, Iran. Their emotional intelligence and personality were evaluated by BarOn questionnaire and Eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ) for adults, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlations between different factors. Findings There was a negative significant correlation (P = 0.050) between emotional intelligence and instable personality in substance abusers. Problem solving...
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...Introduction The question of whether or not to legalize drugs in America has been a strong debate for many decades. Each year there has been a growing number of deaths because of drugs in the United States. With these numbers, there are still wide spread efforts to legalize illicit drugs around the country. This paper will research drug legalization in the United States versus other countries, the positives and negatives, and a reasoned opinion on the topic. When debating the issue of drug legalization and crime, there are questions to ask: Do drugs cause crime and do they inevitably lead to crime? If drugs are made legal, would there be less crime? If the government subsidized addicts, would they still engage in criminal conduct? What would happen if drugs were legalized (Hartnett, 2005)? States like Washington and Colorado have made Marijuana legal, all other states and countries are watching the results. They are watching what legalizing marijuana does for the economy, tax revenue, and crime reduction. There is an international impact with marijuana legalization. History behind the drug war Throughout the history of the drug war, both state and federal law enforcement agencies have cracked down on both drug abusers and drug dealers. During the late 60s, the U.S. government founded the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD). The BNDD worked a study to find a correlation between crime and heroin addiction. They found that 44 percent of those...
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...Early Physical Abuse and Later Violent Delinquency Children who were phyiscally abuse were more likely to commit a violent crime compared to those who were sexual abuse Lansford (2007). Early physical abuse does scar children for life leading to other emotion problems later in their adulthood if help is not provided. I stand at 50 percent of violence begets violence. I believe the decision to act against violence is a choice. Studies show a low rate of 26 % abused children commit delinquent acts, the other 84% are being treated by being enrolled in programs and other positive settings to help them with different coping mechanism skills. If the child has a positive outlet or talent such as dancing or singing they can surpass all the negativity in their abusive life. Interventions are design to develop to find the root of the problem for a successful future (Hotton, 2003). Is it fair to say that children who have been abused and neglected have a higher frequency of juvenile arrests? Juvenile arrest is not always in regards to child abuse or neglect. Lack of resources, education, poverty, drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy plays a major factor. Children who have wealthy parents are still involve with abuse because their parents maybe suffering from past experiences. Children who suffer from abuse deal with more mental issues and are more likely to have a substance abuse problem and other mental issues. Although some children will have seek revenge from their abusers also known...
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...societies that operate under lawful guidelines, with the exception of the means to which goals are met (Lyman & Potter, 2007). Other theories such as relative deprivation, socioeconomic stratification, and differential opportunity all emphasize the breakdown in society causes undue stress, which in turn causes criminal behavior. Social disorganization is essentially the social collapse of society, where lawlessness becomes the norm, as a result of mitigating social factors. How does social disorganization relate to organized crime and its evolution? Social disorganization and the evolution of organized crime work hand in hand; if criminal members of society elected to live inside the boundaries of the law, organized crime would not exist. Further, as supply and demand of society changes, so does organized crime. The Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914 began the evolution of organized crime due to the regulation on drugs, which opened a market for organized crime groups that before did not exist (Lyman &...
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...be reasoned; Aristotle that knowledge relied upon empirical observation and measurement. This does bring up one interesting anomaly. Strictly speaking, the great physicists, such as Einstein and Stephen Hawking, are not scientists. They generate sweeping and elegant theories and mathematical models to describe the universe and the very nature of time, but measure nothing. In reality, they are mathematicians, occupying their own particular niche, and they should properly be referred to as theoreticians. Still, they are still commonly referred to as scientists and do touch upon the scientific method in that any theory they have can be destroyed by a single scrap of empirical evidence. The Scientific Method Relies Upon Data The scientific method uses some type of measurement to analyze results, feeding these findings back into theories of what we know about the world. There are two major ways of obtaining data, through measurement and...
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...The informational advantage in this situation disappears. Real estate agents have an informational advantage over their clients by selling houses for less than what they are worth. Levitt and Dubner illustrate how experts of every kind can exploit you. Chapter three asks, “Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?” This chapter proves the misconception of rich drug dealers. Like any other business, crack gangs have a small amount of wealthy people at the top whereas the rest of the people are at the bottom. Drug dealers have the mentality and hopes of moving up the ladder just like any other businessman in a company. Chapter four asks, “Where have all the criminals gone?” Abortion is the answer in short. Many low-income teenage mothers were able to take advantage of it, avoiding the high possibility of their child growing up unwanted and impoverished, thus leading to crime. Because of the legalization of abortion, the significant crime rates have...
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