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- Theres a discussion about drug legalization, and how it would affect crime, as it would lead to a loss of profit in criminal organizations.
The first article is a old article that i had saved on my browser:
A new Bureau of Justice report released yesterday reveals that 21% of sentenced people in state prisons and local jails are incarcerated for crimes committed to obtain drugs or money for drugs. Almost 40% of people locked up for property crimes and 14% of those incarcerated for violent crimes reported that they had committed their most serious offense for drug-related reasons. If these figures hold for the entire prison and jail population, that means over 473,000 people are behind bars for seeking drugs.
“Drug Use, Dependence, and Abuse Among State Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2007-2009” details past drug use of incarcerated people surveyed in the National Inmate Surveys. Some of its other major findings include:
Wendy Sawyer is the Prison Policy Initiative Research Director. (Other articles | Full bio | Contact)
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/06/28/drugs/
- Many studies have suggested a very close relationship in which drug use or crime leads to the other. Addiction is often a root cause for criminal behavior, and individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol commit around 50% of all crimes. Drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. Mostdirectly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse. Drugs are also related to crime through the effects they have on the user’s behavior and by generating violence and other illegal activity in connection with drug trafficking. The following scheme summarizes the various waysthat drugs and crime are related.
Approximately half of all violent crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol (Roizen, 1997), and there is evidence that alcohol use often precedes or accompanies acts of marital aggression (Leonard, 1993). Although alcohol is most frequently declared as being related to aggressive and violent behavior (Bradford et al., 1992; Pernanen, 1991) a great majority of those individuals who consume alcohol do so without acting aggressively (Highley, 2001). In addition, the amount of alcohol consumed prior to aggressive and violent crimes is highly variable, indicating that a simple, direct dose-dependent, pharmacological effect on aggressive behavior is highly unlikely (Graham and West, 2001).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0193953X18302272
Substance misuse (known by many other names including drug and alcohol abuse), is well known to induce differing reactions in the affected individual. For example, people who take specific drugs to feel calm may lose control of their ability to stay awake and experience bouts of drowsiness. In other scenarios, the persistent craving to use a particular drug may cause more severe reactions. For instance, the individual likely forgets all inhibitions and sacrifices important things like work or family on the bed of addiction. However, it has been the focus of the public that drug abuse is often associated with an increase in crime rates across the country. These two vices are typically lumped together in many instances. But why is this so? What relationship exists between drug abuse and criminality?
This is especially important to note in the case of marijuana users, who historically have been the highest convicted drug users (and the most prevalent illegal users across the nation) but are known to have some of the lowest rates for committing other crimes when compared to users of other drugs. Even those who have developed addictions to certain harder drugs or are frequent users aren’t inherently prone to commit criminal activity. That said, those who are regular users of harder drugs or who have been forced into certain tough situations can be more at risk to commit crime than others.
This extreme motivation towards drugs then consumes them, resulting in what many people know as addiction. But even the smallest semblance of drug use can cause a reaction that inhibits your desire to do anything but consume more of that drug. It could be the relief of stress or lack of inhibitions while on it that causes it that people crave. No matter the reason, they’re willing to pay whatever price it takes to escape from reality.
For those without significant resources to support themselves, crime is often the easiest option to turn to when hoping to find some relief. As a result, people experiencing drug dependency can go to extreme lengths to procure more of the drug, and frequently, the coping mechanism becomes a crutch and drugs begin to seem necessary for survival. This shift in mindset and motivation (or lack thereof) then starts to affect the person’s work, love life, finances—everything that was once stable.
Another prevalent issue with drug use, aside from the change in motivation, is the difficulty in functioning without the drugs. Dopamine, adrenaline, and other hormones are greatly impacted in someone who has taken drugs of any sort. Suddenly stopping use can eventually manifest in severe depression or anxiety, which can continue to spiral out without rehabilitative support. A successful detoxification can be the start of a healthy sober life, but it is also a physically, mentally, and emotionally intense and taxing process.
An unsuccessful detoxification/rehabilitation can, of course, lead to a few worst case scenarios: medical distress, hospitalization, or relapse. In the case of relapse, many will turn to crime to fulfill their needs. Violent crimes are common among hard drug users for this reason. They are stressed and pressured to function appropriately, while their hormones sway between polar extremes, resulting in violent outbreaks. Depending on the drug, even new or beginner users can easily experience mood swings, violent tendencies, and other extreme emotions when taking them.
A one-time use of drugs can lead to criminal activity, through removing the limiter we have naturally. We mentioned how the impacts of drug use can change motivation, but the use itself can lead to a change in mindset. People are all subjected to thoughts that break the laws, even when we are sober. Thinking things such as, “what if I did this?” aren’t uncommon. These are called intrusive thoughts, and everyone experiences them to some level in their lifetime. However, those who use drugs will be more tempted to act on these thoughts. They have, effectively, lost their conscious limiter and disregard their consequences. People who experience these kinds of thoughts more often or actively act on them might be more likely to break the law when they use drugs.
When chemical dependency and criminal activity co-occur, factors like personality disorders, poverty, and lack of social values explain the condition better. Therefore, it would be a wrong step to think that eliminating substance dependency will put an end to criminal activity. This relationship must be well understood as it could be pivotal to the success of any intervention endeavor. If the focus is wrongfully placed on drug abuse as a cause of criminality, erroneous steps may be taken. In such situations, the purpose of interventions and even the overall addiction treatment plan designed for the individual becomes inappropriate from the start.
Nevertheless, drug abuse does have an impact on criminality. Prolonged use of medications produces psychopharmacological effects on the mind which clouds moral judgment and reasoning. These effects may explain why some people may find it okay to maim or steal from another person, seemingly without conscience. The reason behind this is that the area of their brain responsible for judging logically and morally has been overridden due to drug intoxication. Another model that conveys how drug abuse may influence crime is an economic compulsion. This model is the one most people think about when discussing how drug abuse leads to criminal activity. It suggests that individuals commit crimes to get money to buy more drugs, which is especially true of the hard-to-come-by medicines.
https://evokewellness.com/blog/how-does-drug-abuse-increase-crime/
https://www.kalvaradolaw.com/blog/2021/09/relationship-between-drug-use-and-crime/
The first article is a old article that i had saved on my browser:
Drug abuse and addiction at the root of 21% of crimes
by Wendy Sawyer, June 28, 2017A new Bureau of Justice report released yesterday reveals that 21% of sentenced people in state prisons and local jails are incarcerated for crimes committed to obtain drugs or money for drugs. Almost 40% of people locked up for property crimes and 14% of those incarcerated for violent crimes reported that they had committed their most serious offense for drug-related reasons. If these figures hold for the entire prison and jail population, that means over 473,000 people are behind bars for seeking drugs.
“Drug Use, Dependence, and Abuse Among State Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2007-2009” details past drug use of incarcerated people surveyed in the National Inmate Surveys. Some of its other major findings include:
- More than half of the state prison population and two-thirds of the sentenced jail population report drug dependence or abuse, compared to just 5% of the adult general population.
- About 40% of the state prison population and sentenced jail population report using drugs at the time of the offense for which they were incarcerated.
- Drug use varied by gender and race, as reported in past studies: Women were more likely than men, and whites more likely than Blacks, Hispanics, and “other” racial or ethnic groups to report drug dependence or abuse, to report drug use at the time of their offense, and to have ever regularly used cocaine or crack, methamphetamine, or heroin or other opiates.
- Only about a quarter of those reporting drug dependence or abuse had received treatment since admission.
Wendy Sawyer is the Prison Policy Initiative Research Director. (Other articles | Full bio | Contact)
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/06/28/drugs/
- Many studies have suggested a very close relationship in which drug use or crime leads to the other. Addiction is often a root cause for criminal behavior, and individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol commit around 50% of all crimes. Drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. Mostdirectly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse. Drugs are also related to crime through the effects they have on the user’s behavior and by generating violence and other illegal activity in connection with drug trafficking. The following scheme summarizes the various waysthat drugs and crime are related.
Approximately half of all violent crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol (Roizen, 1997), and there is evidence that alcohol use often precedes or accompanies acts of marital aggression (Leonard, 1993). Although alcohol is most frequently declared as being related to aggressive and violent behavior (Bradford et al., 1992; Pernanen, 1991) a great majority of those individuals who consume alcohol do so without acting aggressively (Highley, 2001). In addition, the amount of alcohol consumed prior to aggressive and violent crimes is highly variable, indicating that a simple, direct dose-dependent, pharmacological effect on aggressive behavior is highly unlikely (Graham and West, 2001).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0193953X18302272
How Does Drug Abuse Increase Crime?
EVOKE WELLNESS JUNE 15, 2022 ALCOHOL ADDICTIONSubstance misuse (known by many other names including drug and alcohol abuse), is well known to induce differing reactions in the affected individual. For example, people who take specific drugs to feel calm may lose control of their ability to stay awake and experience bouts of drowsiness. In other scenarios, the persistent craving to use a particular drug may cause more severe reactions. For instance, the individual likely forgets all inhibitions and sacrifices important things like work or family on the bed of addiction. However, it has been the focus of the public that drug abuse is often associated with an increase in crime rates across the country. These two vices are typically lumped together in many instances. But why is this so? What relationship exists between drug abuse and criminality?
What is the Relationship Between Drug Use and Crime?
If you’ve ever wondered whether there is a correlation between drug use and crime rates, the answer is yes—but it may not be as simple as you think. While it’s true that over half of the millions of people actively incarcerated or under supervision in the United States were convicted for using drugs (with many serving time for more than just drug-based crimes), illicit drug use is not an indication that a person is guaranteed to commit a crime in the future. Correlation is not causation.This is especially important to note in the case of marijuana users, who historically have been the highest convicted drug users (and the most prevalent illegal users across the nation) but are known to have some of the lowest rates for committing other crimes when compared to users of other drugs. Even those who have developed addictions to certain harder drugs or are frequent users aren’t inherently prone to commit criminal activity. That said, those who are regular users of harder drugs or who have been forced into certain tough situations can be more at risk to commit crime than others.
Motivational Change
One of the first and foremost problems caused by drugs is a motivational change. Addicts and drug users aren’t necessarily less motivated. In fact, it’s just the opposite—they are typically extremely motivated individuals. However, they are motivated for the wrong reasons. Someone who uses drugs will likely think about that drug, how to get it, and may or may not consider the risks involved.This extreme motivation towards drugs then consumes them, resulting in what many people know as addiction. But even the smallest semblance of drug use can cause a reaction that inhibits your desire to do anything but consume more of that drug. It could be the relief of stress or lack of inhibitions while on it that causes it that people crave. No matter the reason, they’re willing to pay whatever price it takes to escape from reality.
How Drug Abuse and Crime Are Related
Although often linked, drug abuse does not necessarily equal criminal tendencies and vice-versa. Indeed it may be common among convicted criminals who have a history of drug abuse, but both situations remain independent of the other. According to research and surveys conducted in this particular area, chemical dependency is only one out of many different factors which may induce crime. Even with that, such situations only have slight possibilities of arising. An instance would be when an individual misuses expensive or difficult-to-acquire drugs like heroin and cocaine since these are illegal. Other social, psychological, and cultural factors prove to be more of a tangible reason to lead an individual to crime than drug abuse.For those without significant resources to support themselves, crime is often the easiest option to turn to when hoping to find some relief. As a result, people experiencing drug dependency can go to extreme lengths to procure more of the drug, and frequently, the coping mechanism becomes a crutch and drugs begin to seem necessary for survival. This shift in mindset and motivation (or lack thereof) then starts to affect the person’s work, love life, finances—everything that was once stable.
Influx of Hormones
Another prevalent issue with drug use, aside from the change in motivation, is the difficulty in functioning without the drugs. Dopamine, adrenaline, and other hormones are greatly impacted in someone who has taken drugs of any sort. Suddenly stopping use can eventually manifest in severe depression or anxiety, which can continue to spiral out without rehabilitative support. A successful detoxification can be the start of a healthy sober life, but it is also a physically, mentally, and emotionally intense and taxing process.
An unsuccessful detoxification/rehabilitation can, of course, lead to a few worst case scenarios: medical distress, hospitalization, or relapse. In the case of relapse, many will turn to crime to fulfill their needs. Violent crimes are common among hard drug users for this reason. They are stressed and pressured to function appropriately, while their hormones sway between polar extremes, resulting in violent outbreaks. Depending on the drug, even new or beginner users can easily experience mood swings, violent tendencies, and other extreme emotions when taking them.
Removal of Conscious
A one-time use of drugs can lead to criminal activity, through removing the limiter we have naturally. We mentioned how the impacts of drug use can change motivation, but the use itself can lead to a change in mindset. People are all subjected to thoughts that break the laws, even when we are sober. Thinking things such as, “what if I did this?” aren’t uncommon. These are called intrusive thoughts, and everyone experiences them to some level in their lifetime. However, those who use drugs will be more tempted to act on these thoughts. They have, effectively, lost their conscious limiter and disregard their consequences. People who experience these kinds of thoughts more often or actively act on them might be more likely to break the law when they use drugs.
The Correlation Between Drug Addiction and Crime
When chemical dependency and criminal activity co-occur, factors like personality disorders, poverty, and lack of social values explain the condition better. Therefore, it would be a wrong step to think that eliminating substance dependency will put an end to criminal activity. This relationship must be well understood as it could be pivotal to the success of any intervention endeavor. If the focus is wrongfully placed on drug abuse as a cause of criminality, erroneous steps may be taken. In such situations, the purpose of interventions and even the overall addiction treatment plan designed for the individual becomes inappropriate from the start.
The Impact of Addiction on Criminality
Nevertheless, drug abuse does have an impact on criminality. Prolonged use of medications produces psychopharmacological effects on the mind which clouds moral judgment and reasoning. These effects may explain why some people may find it okay to maim or steal from another person, seemingly without conscience. The reason behind this is that the area of their brain responsible for judging logically and morally has been overridden due to drug intoxication. Another model that conveys how drug abuse may influence crime is an economic compulsion. This model is the one most people think about when discussing how drug abuse leads to criminal activity. It suggests that individuals commit crimes to get money to buy more drugs, which is especially true of the hard-to-come-by medicines.
https://evokewellness.com/blog/how-does-drug-abuse-increase-crime/
https://www.kalvaradolaw.com/blog/2021/09/relationship-between-drug-use-and-crime/
