...Drugs and crime Author Institution What 2 theories did you select? Briefly identify and describe them This paper will deal with biological and sociology theories. Biological theory Emerged in 19th century in response to the moralistic nature theories biological theories used a disease model to explain addiction. Sociology theory attempts to create an Understanding on how phenomena such as drug and alcohol use and abuse are defined is important in helping us to discover explanations and creating social policies. How does this theory explain drug use and abuse? Explain in detail For biological theory for the model as an illness, addiction was seen as one thing that was promptly spread. Drugs were seen as toxins that destroyed the body. More modern biological theories have targeted on the subsequent two areas as well as neurochemical bases for addiction and propagation bases for addiction. Neurochemical explanations determine the supply of addiction in neurotransmission, which may be outlined as, the mechanism by that signals or impulses are sent from one nerve cell to a different. Briefly describe the individual, the offense, and the drugs used. State prison inmate reported being under the influence of drugs when committing violent offenses including rape harassment and destruction of properties. How much influence did drugs appear to have on the individual with regard to committing the crime? Explain. These crimes embrace people who are important to the activity of...
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...argued that it is a “gateway drug”, that marijuana could lead to more incidences of drug-related incidences, and that if it is legalized it can be more easily attained which will lead to more abuse of the drug. On the other hand, the legalization of marijuana will improve society. The legalization of marijuana will lower violence and crime rates, will stimulate the economy, and will be a safer drug than those already legalized, such as tobacco and alcohol. Marijuana is most often argued that it should remain illegal. It is argued that it is a “gateway drug” which leads into hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and meth. Some believe that marijuana users can build up a tolerance to the drug, which will then lead them to other drugs in search of a better “high”. However, this is not particularly true. “Marijuana itself does not lead the person to the other drugs; people take drugs to get rid of unwanted situations or feelings.” (On the Road to Drug Abuse). Other arguments in favor of marijuana remaining illegal is that it will be easier accessible and will therefore be more abused, and that is could lead to more deaths and crimes. Like anything else, if cannabis is abused it may have some of these consequences. However, alcohol and prescription drugs cause much more harm. Every 53 minutes, on average, there is a death due to alcohol related automobile crashes. (MADD). In contrast, the U.S Centers for Disease control and Prevention does not even have a category for...
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...helps us understand the relationship between drug use and crime. One of the most common explanations of the drug-crime relationship is that drug use causes crime. While there is some support that drug use causes crime, there is some variation about the way in which drug use may cause crime.(Bennett and Holloway,2005) Bennett and Holloway highlight three types of explanation: Psychopharmacological explanations, economic explanations and drug lifestyle explanations. Psychopharmacological explanations suggest drug use can lead to crime because of the impact of drugs on the behaviour of the drug user. Goldstein describes this when he states ‘some individuals as a result of short term or long term ingestion of specific substances may become excitable, irrational and exhibit violent behaviour.’ (Goldstein,1985:494) By this Goldstein is saying that drug taking has a direct effect on the individual’s behaviour which can lead to criminal behaviour (Bennett and Holloway,2005).Psychopharmacological explanations of the links between drug use and crime tend to focus on the links between drug use and violent crime (Bennett and Holloway,2005). There are a number of ways in which Psychopharmacological processes may lead to crime. White and Gorman list ‘disinhibition, cognitive-perceptual distortions, attention deficits, bad judgement and neuro-chemical change’ (White and Gorman,2000:170) as potential drugs organism interactions that may cause violent behaviour (Bennett and Holloway,2005)...
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...view of what constitutional principles should guide policy on victimless crimes? Why/why not? ◦ How does your view differ from that expressed in your peer’s post? WHAT HE SAID: William Kiatta The book states that "victimless crimes" are, "the act among willing adults that violate some moral principle supported by the dominant forces in society constitute a substantial fraction of crimes." With this being said, I do not believe in "victimless crimes" such as drug trafficking, drug use, and prostitution. Victimless crimes such as gambling, homosexual acts, and sodomy should be guided by the 10th admendment. The 10th amendemnt pretty much states that the power not granted in the constitution by the U.S. is up to each individual state to make it a law or not. This is good because each states sees "victimless crimes" differently. The Constitution has more of a commutarian view on "victimless crimes". The situation in this discussion says that some victimless crimes were prostitution, drug trafficking, and drug use. These three examples are illegal in every state. I do not believe the constituion supports these acts. People are arrested everyday for these reasons and it is for our protection. If it were up to people to decide wether or not to do this there would be more prostituion, more drug use and more drug trafficking. This would cause higher spread of diseases and crime rate. "the use of illegal drugs is often associated with murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assoult, burglary...
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...Drug Trafficking in the United States Bethany Chrisco ENG 122: English Composition II Mary Harmon December 10, 2012 Drug Trafficking in the United States “The war on drugs has become the longest most deadly war the United States has ever faced.”(Wright, 2011) The United States has been fighting drug trafficking since the 1900’s and the main dilemma is how to exactly stop it. Some people believe that making drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and methamphetamine legal in the United States would put a stop to drug trafficking, but this is just going to do nothing but make things worse for the people of the United States and cause the drug war to begin in our own country. It is believed by some that making drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and methamphetamine legal in the United States will stop drug trafficking from other countries and help the United States in other ways. People believe that making drugs legal in the United States that it would reduce the prison population which will save the government money, it will make money for our country because the government can tax the drugs, reduce the chances of drug overdoses because the drugs will be more pure and the amount sold will not be deathly, help cancer and glaucoma patients, and stop trafficking and smuggling from other countries. This all may be true in some ways but making these drugs legal would just cause more problems within the United States and for our people. These problems vary...
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...Criminal Justice Topic: How does the Australian Criminal Justice system respond to one of the forms of crime? addressed in the last part of the course/unit? What are the Strengths and Weakness of this response? Crimes addressed include White Collar and Corporate Crime, Organized Crime, Illicit Drugs and Violence. Illicit drugs affect everyone. They may cause family problems, health problems even effort jobs or your performance. Even with the use of drugs that may have to be swallowed or even injected into your own body could increase chances of obtaining the HIV virus. But drugs that we smoke like marijuana could cause lung cancer. Illicit drugs can also affect the brain, by causing the brain cells to die and in cases resulting in permanent brain damage. The abuse of drugs also affect the economy, people using drugs are accident waiting to happen. Each year drug uses is the cause of a large number of accidents at home, office and on the roads. Everybody pays the price of drug abuse more cops and prisons more hospitals and treatment centers and many lives lost. Australia has approximately one drug overdose death each year. Broadly speaking, the prevalence of illicit drugs has been falling since the late 1990’s though some drugs have increased over that period. The authoritative reports below will summaries the trends as follows. In 2010, approximately 15% of the national population 14 years and above had used one or more illicit drugs in the past 12 months, with...
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...that the drug problem in our country today has reached an epidemic proportion. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control and or solve it. Trying to end the drug war may not seen to be the best answer in the beginning, but those so-called wars on drugs have not been very successful at stopping the drug wars. I feel that there should be some different options. The legalization of marijuana is an option which hasn’t received much of a chance, but should be given one. Given that marijuana has known important medical uses, such as the alleviation of nausea, and the treatment of glaucoma, can the government justify banning it just because some individuals use it for recreational purposes? Is it even the business of the government to regulate the private lives of its citizens? I really don’t condone the use of any kind of drug use, but a drug such as marijuana should be legalized to a certain extent, because marijuana helps people with some medical conditions they may have. In order for one to solve the ongoing issue of the legalization of marijuana one must take a look at the classical theory of deontology. Deontology is the classical theory where the reason for which an act is done is assessed. (Mosser, 2010) When assessing the issue of the legalization of marijuana, one must question the exact reasons as to why individuals use marijuana and the government’s role in its prohibition. As we know legalizing marijuana does have its consequences...
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...plant for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, excessive propaganda has been used to distort the facts and prevent education on the matter. It may surprise you to know that 100 years ago this was not even an issue. Most people in America simply assume that marijuana was criminalized due to the result of scientific research which determined that it fell into the category of a dangerous drug. This is completely false and the history of marijuana’s criminalization is filled with fear and corrupt legislation. The laws that were created as a result were made for the wrong reasons using false evidence. Despite what the opposition says, legalizing marijuana is beneficial to everyone for several reasons: it is a healthier alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, it will free the court system and jails from unnecessary time and expenses, and it will create a substantial source of revenue for the country. For nearly a century, health care personnel and government officials have stressed the potentially dangerous side effects of marijuana usage. Currently marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. (NIDA, 2010) Marijuana is the dried flowers that come from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is also called THC. The most common method of marijuana ingestion is through smoking. Marijuana can also be consumed by mixing it with foods and drinks. It can also be found in a highly concentrated...
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...Various reasons are blamed for the challenge but they significantly differ from one nation to the other. Causes of prison overcrowding are not limited to the bounds of criminal justice but stretch to other facets of authorities including social welfare plans, availability and ease of access to health services, formal education and job opportunities. Debates on how to handle this issue on political platforms is an enough illustration of the problems political leaders undergo in looking for a lasting solution challenged by increased pressure from court orders and rigorous financial crisis. It is therefore evident that it is much easier to have overcrowded prisons than it is to develop and implement effective and efficient ways to manage overcrowding in prisons. Overcrowding in prisons is a broad problem that is centered on issues of policies and crime research. These issues involve criminal sentencing, the role of correctional facilities and sentences, accommodation of prisoners with access to health care and rehabilitation services and causes of crimes. Moreover, issues of which crime attracts what sentence, prison budgets, economic hardships and criminal policies in determining the kinds of punishment are all attached to overcrowding in prisons. Overcrowding in Prisons is a challenging issue due to its complexity in determining how all these issues affect it. Lack of clarity on how various issues interact and under what conditions...
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...marijuana use. Currently, two States within the United States have legalized marijuana, Colorado and Washington. However, using marijuana still can be dangerous and does not set a good example for America’s youth and should not be legalized for recreational use. Marijuana causes health problems, is a gateway drug and is associated with violence. Marijuana has been around in American society for a very long time. There has been an on going debate whether or not it should be made legal to purchase and use Marijuana because of all the health concerns that come along with it. Marijuana is a plant that people basically harvest and then select part of the plant to process. The main chemical in marijuana that alters the mind is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC (www.drugabuse.gov). Using marijuana can have many types of short and long-term effects, especially on cardiopulmonary and mental health (www.drugabuse.gov). Shortly after smoking marijuana, a person’s heart rate can increase 20 -100 percent, this effect can last up to three hours. In a study, it was estimated that after one hour of smoking marijuana, someone has a 5 percent increase in having a heart attack, the risk may be higher in older people or people with cardiac problems (www.drugabuse.gov). Another major health concern related to marijuana is the effect on the brain. Research has shown that frequent use of marijuana can have a negative impact on learning and memory even after the drug has...
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...illegal drug problems. Although we hear terms like The War on Drugs and Drug Treatment, a fresh approach to this issue is overdue. The country should take a new look at drug legalization as a solution to a problem that has been long out of control. Addiction and drug abuse are such buzzwords these days that a clear clarification is needed of what is meant by these terms. Addiction has crossed the line from being defined as a physical dependency on drugs to include such classifications as religious addiction, shopping addiction, food addiction, work addiction, television addiction, and love addiction. Although a person may feel that he or she can’t live without their particular addiction, there is no scientific proof or medical test for an addict. To keep things in the broadest perspective, addiction will be defined here as the continual repetition of a normally non-problematic behavior to self-destructive access. This 3 definition leaves room for a broad range of behaviors without physical cause that will allow for a search of the real problem behind the behavior and not the excuse of saying that it is the result of a disease. Since addiction is believed to be a social problem then an attempt at cutting off the source of addiction, drugs in this case, is thought to cure the problem. If that be the case then gambling and food abusers should be treated the same as addicts. Since drug legalization is the topic of this essay let us focus on alternatives to the War on Drugs. One possibility...
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...The Causes of Drug Addiction For many, the subject of drug use in any way whether it be the production, the exchange or the actual use is a touchy issue. Drugs such as meth, cocaine, and crack have been around for decades and drugs like heroine have been around for centuries. Drugs such as cocaine and heroin can cause major life-altering effects on a person by impairing internal organs, limiting one's abilities and skills that would make one suitable to interact with others successfully. They produce hallucinations, anger, forgetfulness and many other adverse causes. There are countless occurrences of users of hard drugs disregarding the law and committing a crime while in the pursuit of the drug of their choice or while on the drug. Drug addiction almost always leads to criminal conduct. Illegal drug use often leads to crimes such as murder, robbery, burglaries and assaults. Without a doubt drugs and criminal behavior are closely associated. “Drug offenders account for more than one-third of the growth in state prison population and more than 80 percent of the increase in the number of prison inmates since 1985.” (Dewey) In 2013, nearly 40% 0f the inmates in the United States said they committed violent crimes to support their drug habit. Surprisingly jail time alone has had little effect on the reduction of drug addiction or in promoting recovery. A large number of users who were addicted to heroin began with prescription painkillers and only substituted heroin when their...
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...America is at war. We have been fighting drug abuse for almost a century. Four Presidents have personally waged war on drugs. Unfortunately, it is a war that we are losing. Drug abusers continue to fill our courts, hospitals, and prisons. The drug trade causes violent crime that ravages our neighborhoods. Children of drug abusers are neglected, abused, and even abandoned. The only beneficiaries of this war are organized crime members and drug dealers. The United States has been engaged in a “war” for nearly 25 years. A war in which there is a great deal of confusion as to why we are engaged in it, and if we are in the war for the right reasons. The resolution of the war is curtailed by varying opinions and subjective statistical proof. The war which has been a continuing struggle, is the “war on drugs” At the heart of this war is a fundamental question: Is this a battle the United States can win? It is likely everyone will agree drugs are harmful, they have serious medical side-effects. Drugs are addictive; can ruin a family, a job, a life. I agree that drugs have very negative side effects, but is the solution to fight a very costly and ineffective battle to eradicate drugs entirely? Is this even a possibility? I am not so sure, and this paper will show that the war on drugs has likely caused much more harm than good. Further, it will explain why not all drugs are the same, explore some options, and look at the future of the United States, and of the world ...
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...The Cause of Aggressive Crime 1 RUNNING HEAD: The Cause of Aggressive Crime The Cause of Aggressive Crime Mark Maldonado Grantham University The Cause of Aggressive Crime 2 Being in Law Enforcement there is no doubt I have seen my share of crime that goes on in society. I would like to say that I do have a personal view on the cause of violent crime. For me I would say it would have to be the way you are raised, the people you associate with and if you are in a home that is associated with crime. When I say a home associated with crime, I mean is there drugs being sold from the home, is there drug us going on in the home, domestic violence etc. In my opinion I believe that one of the causes of crime is due to the environment that person is exposed to on a daily basis. If that person is always around that kind of environment I believe they will more than likely commit serious criminal acts. For example with these school shootings, I believe that they learned how to handle these weapons from somewhere and the fact that they committed these shootings, the idea had to have come from somewhere. So what I am saying is whether the cause is direct or indirect, I believe that something had to influence the individual to commit the crime. Whether that influence was television, music, a person in their life, what they seen growing up something had an influence...
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...Glazer described criminal behavior as a “zigzag path” because criminals often go back and forth between committing crimes (Maruna, 2001). These criminals can commit a crime and then obey the law for the next couple weeks. The problem with defining desistance is the question of what really constitutes as legit desistance. Like stated before, someone can go months or even years without committing a crime, but does that mean the offending behavior is terminated? Farrall and Bowling view desistance as the ending of a criminal career (Maruna, 2001). Farrall and Bowling describe this type of desistance almost the same way that a person quits a job where one stops doing a routine. The factors that had the most impact on the desistance process would be choice or rational choice. When criminals were asked why they stopped committing crimes most became sick of the lifestyle and hit rock bottom so they wanted to start a new chapter in their lives. This is important because the ex offenders are making rational decisions to stop committing crimes. These people tell themselves that they want to do better and change their lives around because they know that breaking the law is going to make them end up in jail or even dead. It is unfortunate that some of these offenders wait until they are at the lowest of the low to finally turn their life around and cease the temptation of crime. The book argues that ex-convicts have exaggerated many...
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