NCJ Number
66590
Date Published
1979
Length
22 pages
Annotation
ACCORDING TO THIS NILECJ REVIEW, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE (NIDA) 1975 REPORT PRESENTS AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF EXISTING DRUG AND CRIME RESEARCH AND MAKES VALID RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH.
Abstract
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE (NILECJ) REVIEWED THE NIDA PANEL REPORT AS PART OF THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP NEW GUIDELINES FOR STUDIES ON THE INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN DRUG USE AND CRIME. IT FURTHER SUGGESTS THAT THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE LITERATURE ON HEROIN ADDICTS HAS SHORTCHANGED OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS OF OTHER DRUGS TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. IT FURTHER SUGGESTS THAT BY EXPLORING THESE RELATIONSHIPS BY DRUG TYPE AND CRIME TYPE, THE ASSUMPTION THAT HEROIN GENERATES THE GREATEST SOCIAL COSTS CAN BE MORE ADEQUATELY EXAMINED. IN ADDITION, IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE HEROIN USER'S DEMAND FOR THE DRUG IS, IN FACT, INELASTIC OR HOW THE USE OF SUBSTITUTE DRUGS AFFECTS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEROIN USE AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. RESEARCHERS SHOULD ALSO ATTEMPT TO INCLUDE DRUG USERS WHO ARE EITHER NOT IDENTIFIED OR RARELY IDENTIFIED BY SOME OFFICIAL SOURCE SUCH AS POLICE OR TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT TREATMENT PROGRAM OR ARREST RECORDS REPRESENT ONLY PARTIAL SOLUTIONS TO GATHERING DRUG AND CRIME DATA. SELF-REPORT DATA SHOULD BE DRAWN EITHER IN A PROSPECTIVE DESIGN WHICH PERMITS OBSERVATION, OR IN RETROSPECTIVE REPORTING FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME TO AVOID DISTORTIONS OF MEMORY. IN ADDITION, THEY SHOULD BE CORRELATED WITH RECORD DATA TO INSURE ACCURACY. QUESTIONS WHICH FOCUS ON THE INTERCONNECTION OF DRUG USE AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS MIGHT YIELD MORE DIRECT INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC DRUG AND CRIME RELATIONSHIPS. FINALLY, RESEARCH NEEDS TO FOCUS MORE ON ONSET BEHAVIOR THAN ON THE EXISTING BEHAVIOR OF OFFICIALLY IDENTIFIED DRUG USERS TO HELP CLARIFY DRUG USE AND CRIME RELATIONSHIPS. SIX REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (ELP)