NCJ Number
131344
Date Published
1989
Length
14 pages
Annotation
These findings from a Maryland survey of criminal justice and private-security professionals address respondents' ranking of drugs from the most to the least serious, perceptions of the seriousness of the drug problem, opinions on drug legalization and discrimination in the criminalizing of the use of drugs, and agency internal actions and policies to reduce and control drug abuse.
Abstract
A total of 545 persons were surveyed, yielding 384 (70 percent) replies. Responses were received from police chiefs, security police, prosecutors, circuit court judges, district court judges, sheriffs, and private-security police. Circuit court judges and prosecutors identified cocaine as the greatest drug problem. All other professions identified marijuana as the number one drug problem. Prosecutors constituted the only group in which the majority perceived that drug-related crimes were an extremely serious problem. Substantial majorities in all groups opposed the legalization or decriminalization of any currently prohibited drugs. Over two-thirds of the judges believed that current State laws are adequate for sentencing drug offenders. This opinion was not shared by other respondents. Other topics in the survey pertain to employment drug-screening policies, mandatory sentencing, computerization and exchange of intelligence data, the influence of the media and entertainment industry, cooperative drug reduction efforts, the use of statewide grand juries, lack of focus on the demand side, and drug smuggling into confinement facilities. 3 tables