NCJ Number
213079
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Dated: January-February 2006 Pages: 16-20,77
Date Published
January 2006
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the threats posed to the criminal justice system by methamphetamine production and abuse and offers recommendations for reducing the harm.
Abstract
A proactive approach to reducing the harm caused by methamphetamine abuse is outlined and includes enhancing jail safety by requiring all detainees to be decontaminated prior to entering the jail facility. Other internal and external recommendations include officer training on methamphetamine laboratory dangers and safety, adopting a data-driven approach to targeting methamphetamine production, and educating the community on identifying methamphetamine abuse. The final recommendation stresses the importance of mandating drug abuse treatment for methamphetamine abusers who enter the criminal justice system. One of the most salient threats to the criminal justice system resulting from increasing methamphetamine abuse involves the possibility of contamination from a variety of toxic chemicals, such as lye, iodine, and lithium. Police officers face a contamination threat when they must enter methamphetamine laboratories to place offenders under arrest while jail personnel must come into contact with arrestees who are potentially contaminated. Other consequences to the criminal justice system of increasing methamphetamine abuse include jail overcrowding and increased workloads for methamphetamine-related operations. Endnotes