NCJ Number
188811
Journal
Social Problems Volume: 48 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2001 Pages: 88-92
Date Published
February 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines crime and criminal justice policy in Iceland.
Abstract
Recent public attitude surveys in Iceland show that crime concern has deepened, especially with regard to drug offenses. A separate drug police force, established in the early 1970's, has become the largest specialized police force in the Nation. Despite Iceland's firm institutional response to the drug problem, cannabis use among the young increased in the 1990's and is similar to that throughout Scandinavia. Use of harder drugs such as heroin or cocaine is almost non-existent in Iceland. Although Icelanders consume significantly less alcohol than most other western nations, during 1974-1990 more than 2,400 individuals were arrested each year for driving while intoxicated (DWI) -- a "staggering" 1 percent of the total population. Once arrested for the third time, an offender faces a mandatory prison sentence. In the 1990's, the number of inmates serving time for DWI routinely surpassed 20 percent of the entire prison population. National attitude surveys have repeatedly shown that substance abuse is believed central to explaining the genesis of local criminality. Key people in the criminal justice system and some inmates also have observed the substance abuse-crime link. Most female victims surveyed regarding domestic violence mentioned substance abuse as the leading cause of the violence inflicted on them. Social factors, such as class divisions and unemployment, are not regarded as significant. References