NCJ Number
212314
Date Published
2005
Length
260 pages
Annotation
Based on a review of relevant literature and the author's insights from ethnographic and quantitative research, this book documents the social and economic changes in American inner-city neighborhoods that created ideal conditions for the distribution and consumption of crack cocaine, with attention to the impact of the crack epidemic on poor Black women.
Abstract
In addition to background research, the author conducted short screening interviews with 46 poor Black women who exchanged sex for crack weekly or more often to support their drug habits. In-depth interviews were then conducted with a subset of 19 of these women who became pregnant by exchanging sex for crack. The author identifies the social and economic precursors of crack cocaine use. Economic precursors are the elimination of manufacturing and agricultural jobs under the restructured American economy. This loss of jobs for Black males contributed to their disengagement from participation in family life and the proliferation of single-parent, female-headed households. The introduction of crack cocaine to inner cities filled a void in economic opportunities for poor Black men, making inner cities centers of crack production, distribution, and consumption, such that masses of poor Black residents have become addicts or dealers. Poor Black women have become addicted in record numbers, and prostitution has become a major source of income for these women in supporting their drug habits. Unprotected sex has led to pregnancies and the birth of crack babies for many women. Attendant health and social consequences include death from AIDS, child abuse and neglect, and the State-ordered removal of minor children from families. Based on study findings, policy suggestions are offered in the areas of drug treatment modification, child welfare caseload evaluation, inner-city public education policy, and general social welfare policy. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 160 references