Drug Recidivism and Crime
Jordyn White
November 16, 2017
Psychology 330 – Behavioral Effects of Psychoactive Drugs
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Introduction: Drug Use and Crime
It is no secret that crime and the usage of drugs are related. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), eighty percent of inmates report abusing drugs and alcohol, and fifty percent of inmates are addicted to either drugs or alcohol. Furthermore, of those arrested for most crimes, sixty percent test positively for drugs at arrest. These statistics show a serious issue regarding drugs and crime in the United States, but do not address other aspects of criminal drug use, like drug recidivism in former inmates. Criminals in the United States have a shockingly high rate of drug recidivism, with around ninety-five percent of criminals returning to drug use, due to a variety of factors in the lives of the previously incarcerated. While there is an incredibly high rate of drug recidivism in people who have previously been incarcerated, especially if their crime involved drug use, there are ways to prevent large-scale drug recidivism, and help criminals who leave the judicial system remain out of the judicial system.
Impact of Drugs and Alcohol on Crime Rates
Alcohol has a different effect on individuals than other drugs, and thus is often placed into its own category when discussing crime and the effect it has on society. Each year, around three million crimes where the offender is reported to be drinking occur. According to the NCADD, alcohol itself has the most association with violent crimes such as murder and rape. These crimes are classified as some of the most horrific in society, and it is impossible to deny the statistical significance that alcohol has regarding these violent crimes. Alcohol is also a significant factor in violence where the attacker and the victim know each other, such as in cases of spousal abuse. Research states that around sixty-six percent of individuals attacked by a person close to them report the involvement of alcohol. All of these previous statistics prove the problem of alcohol involvement in crimes in the United States; around thirty seven percent of currently incarcerated individuals were arrested with reported alcohol involvement.
While alcohol is the biggest problem regarding drug use and incarceration in the United States, other drugs also play a significant role in incarceration as well. One of the most debated aspects of drug use and criminal activity, however, is whether drug use predisposes a person to criminal activity, or those who use drugs have already been exposed to conditions which would have caused them to commit crimes in any circumstances. According to the NCADD, there are three types of criminal activity associated with drug use in the United States: use-related, economic-related, and system-related. These types of criminal activity all involve the use of drugs when committing the crime, yet the root cause for the crimes is different in each. In use-related, the effects of the drugs cause the individual to commit the crimes. In economic-related, the socio-economic status of individuals causes them to commit the crimes, usually to fund their habits. Thirdly, in system-related, the crimes committed are related the system of producing, dealing, and accessing drugs. All these crimes are still committed in regard to the usage of illicit drugs, yet the causes of initial drug use are all inherently different. Due to this fact, it is unfair for the judicial system to say that all individuals commit crimes for the same reason, and even more unfair for the judicial system to treat all drug and alcohol related crimes in the same way.
There are many dynamic aspects of drug and alcohol use and criminal activity, and the judicial system often does not account for the differences in usage patterns and other factors that cause illegal drug and alcohol use. Furthermore, the judicial system often fails incarcerated individuals in regard to treatment for drug and alcohol dependence, which often results in re-incarceration for them, or worse. The failure of the judicial system to address the mass drug use problem of the incarcerated upon release further perpetuates the issue of criminal drug and alcohol related activity, as individuals with drug and alcohol dependence who have previously been arrested, for drug and alcohol charges or otherwise, are more likely to be re-arrested for more violent crimes, for crimes still relating to drug use, or even end up dying from their previous or a new-found drug dependence.
Treatment of Drug-Addicted Criminals
The area where the judicial system fails the drug-addicted incarcerated the most is upon release. Individuals who are jailed for crimes and are addicted to drugs or alcohol at the time of their arrest often do not receive proper treatment for their addictions, and often receive no real treatment at all. According to a study by Chandler, Fletcher, and Volkow, less than twenty percent of incarcerated individuals with a drug or alcohol dependence issue report receiving in-jail treatment. The most common form of “drug and alcohol treatment” is reportedly “drug education”, which does nothing to support individuals addicted to drugs or alcohol, but merely educates the incarcerated on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Of the formerly incarcerated who received “education-only” treatment in jail, around one-third of them return to jail for further drug offenses, among many other types of crimes.
The fact that jails and prisons do virtually nothing in aiding their inmates in dealing with their drug and alcohol problem displays the stereotypes and expectations of those who are arrested for crimes related to drug-use, or arrested for crimes in general. Often, society states that those who are addicted to drugs are only addicted due to problems within their control, and if they “just tried hard enough” to quit, would be able to with no issues. However, these stereotypes do nothing to actually help those with real drug problems, and further perpetuate the stereotype of the “criminal drug user”. Research has indicated time and time again that treatment of individuals with drug addiction is far more beneficial than simple punishment. Treatment helps examine the root cause of addiction, and helps individuals to understand their addiction and find alternatives to curb their appetite for their drug of choice. Punishment, however, only perpetuates negative stereotypes and is greater cause for the incarcerated to return to their drug of choice upon release, especially if they are released into the same environments where the drug use initially began, and with no real education on how to change their habits. To prove this point, the study done by the aforementioned Chandler, Fletcher, and Volkow found that individuals who underwent drug treatment and rehabilitation in prison following an arrest were seven times more likely to remain drug-free upon release and three times less likely to reoffend criminally than their educated but untreated counterparts.
Treatment for a Better Future
Education about drug use alone has been shown time after time to be virtually ineffective in lowering drug-use post-release, and in many cases, causes previous criminals to reoffend or commit even worse crimes. It is far more expensive for the United States to incarcerate criminals, which is estimated to run about $22,000 a month, in comparison to actually treating these individuals, which is estimated to run about $4,000 a month. Treatment for drug-addicted and alcohol-addicted individuals is far more effective in reducing the re-offense rate, and helps to keep people out of jail. Our current penal system merely perpetuates the pervasiveness of criminal drug and alcohol activity, and does almost nothing to aide those affected by drugs and alcohol in improving their lives. Treatment options for incarcerated drug users need to be more widespread and far more holistic. In jails where treatment for drug and alcohol addiction actually occurs, the offenders are far less likely to return to drug use, commit other violent crimes, or die upon release. In jails where treatment is limited or does not exist, and punishment is protocol, far more individuals will return to jail for more severe crimes, remain impoverished and in futile situations, or eventually die.