NCJ Number
65247
Date Published
Unknown
Length
189 pages
Annotation
THIS LITERATURE REVIEW IS A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LITERATURE ON THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DRUG USE AND CRIME, WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HEROIN AND CRIME.
Abstract
RELEVANT LITERATURE FROM CANADIAN, AUSTRALIAN, EUROPEAN, AND AMERICAN SOURCES IS INCLUDED. THE LITERATURE REVIEW COVERS FIVE TOPICAL AREAS CENTRAL TO THE DRUG/CRIME ISSUE: METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES, PATTERNS OF DRUG USE AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, LIFE CYCLE ISSUES, ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND TREATMENT INTERVENTION STRATEGIES. INCLUDED IN THE FIRST AREAS ARE DEFINITIONS OF DRUG USE AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, MEASUREMENT PROBLEMS IN DRUG/CRIME RESEARCH (SELF-REPORT METHODS, UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS AND OTHER OFFICIAL RECORDS, QUALITATIVE MEASURES EMPLOYING ETHNOGRAPHIC AND PARTICIPANT OBSERVER TECHNIQUES), AND SAMPLE REPRESENTATIVENESS. GREATER USE OF CONTOL GROUPS AND LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH ON POPULATIONS NOT PRESELECTED FOR DRUG USE OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, THIS SECTION CONCLUDES, WOULD PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING DRUG/CRIME RELATIONSHIPS. SECONDLY, MATERIAL ON DRUG USE PATTERNS AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS COVERED, INCLUDING SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADDICT CHARACTERISTICS, CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF DRUG USERS, AND RESEARCH ON WOMEN ADDICTS. LITTLE HOMOGENEITY AMONG ADDICTS IS REFLECTED IN THE LITERATURE. EVIDENCE THAT ADDICTS ENGAGE IN SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF INCOME-GENERATING CRIME IS FOUND, AS WELL AS SUPPORT FOR THE BELIEF THAT WOMEN ADDICTS HAVE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF MEN, INCLUDING FAMILY BACKGROUND, ENVIRONMENT, AND EDUCATION. HOWEVER, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE AGE OF ONSET FOR FEMALES' DRUG USE IS YEARS LATER THAN THAT FOR MEN AND TYPES OF CRIMES COMMITTED BY WOMEN ARE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT THAN THOSE COMMITTED BY MEN. A THIRD SECTION DEALS WITH ADDICTS' DRUG AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS AND PATTERN CHANGES OVER THE COURSE OF AN ADDICT'S LIFETIME. DISCUSSION COVERS CAUSALITY AND TEMPORAL SEQUENCING, THE INITIATION OF DRUG USE, AND THE POSTADDICTION PERIOD. ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO CHANGES IN CRIMINALITY AFTER ADDICTION AND REMISSION, RELAPSE, AND MATURING OUT, BUT THE CONCLUSION IS DRAWN THAT DEFINITE RESULTS WILL REQUIRE MORE RESEARCH. NEXT, ECONOMIC ISSUES ARE EXAMINED AND INCLUDE THE DEMAND FOR HEROIN, SUPPLY OF LABOR BY DRUG ABUSERS, ECONOMETRIC DRUG/CRIME STUDIES, AND ENFORCEMENT PHILOSOPHY. THE EMPIRICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE IDEA THAT INCOME-GENERATING CRIMES ARE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT A HEROIN HABIT ARE EXPLORED. FINALLY, DRUG TREATMENT STRATEGIES CONCERNING EVALUATIVE RESEARCH ON METHADONE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS ARE REVIEWED, AS ARE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES, MULTIMODALITY EVALUATIONS, AND CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS. THE TEXT INCLUDES FOOTNOTES, AN AUTHOR INDEX, A BIBLIOGRAPHIC PREFACE, AND A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY.