Drug Addiction And Drug Offenders

Superior Essays
The human brain is a complex organ. It controls emotions, belief systems and basic bodily functions. For was much as we know about the brain and how it works, there is a stigma about mental disorders which effect certain behaviors, such as addiction. This stigma could be attributed to a lack of understanding, or possibly a fear, of what can turn into very destructive behavior. Drug addiction can cause people to act in ways that are often dangerous to themselves and to society, leading them to a life of crime, driven by substance abuse. For many years, drug offenders have been charged with prison sentences as a form of rehabilitation, as well as a way to deter drug related crimes. This sort of system is has shown to be ineffective and detrimental …show more content…
Most people are more likely to view drug abuse as a disease, rather than as a moral issue (Giordano). As technology and understanding of how the brain functions improve, there is proof to support these beliefs. Scientific advances in neurology and genetics have helped convince man researchers that drug and alcohol abuse is a chronic illness (Sapatkin). Viewing addiction as a disease should radically change the ways in which drug offenders are sentenced. In an article about how addiction effects drug offender’s behavior in the Journal of Drug Issues, Vincent Giordano describes the ways in which addiction is considered a disease. He sates, “Central to the disease concept is the idea that alcoholics (and drug addicts) have lost control over their ability to abstain from using drugs and alcohol… This loss of control has been interpreted to mean that addicts have no control over their addiction” (Giordano). Giordano goes on to relate how the understanding that addiction should be considered a disease, “… postulates that drug offenders should be treated as though they have an illness, and not punished as criminals, because they have no control over their addiction” (Giordano). With the view on addiction shifting to that of a mental illness instead of a moral failing, the ways in which drug offenders are charged should evolve as

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Incarceration of such offenders has also not been found to sufficiently concentrate on the treatment needs faced by these particular individuals. The criminal justice system has in time, advanced its’ efforts to assist non-violent offenders through alternatives to incarceration. By shifting the focus from incarcerating substance abusers to one of treatment, an effort to promote positive change and reduce recidivism could be accomplished (Journal of Experimental Criminology). With that being said, should drug…

    • 1666 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Government Accountability Office found that thirteen out of seventeen drug courts recording “post-program recidivism,” or the tendency for a criminal to commit the same crime after release from a rehabilitation program, measured a decrease between four and twenty-five percent (142). These three instances prove that drug courts really do decrease the percentage of rearrests.…

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Public Health Association(APHA) is responsible for the health and wellbeing of our country. As a prime source for “[protecting]...the health of people and communities where they live, learn work, and play” (APHA), we must trust them with the matter of the illegal drug abuse. The APHA promotes “healthy decisions” and should be able to aid victims, whom are unable to exist or grow for themselves. While each drug result in different side effects and hazards, how would we know or measure the knowledge of our justice system of illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or/and methamphetamine. Therefore, personal growth, autonomy, healthy relationships, and physical health are initial for the wellbeing of our communities and our citizens.…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of Blue Lens

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Nonetheless, in many countries, and more specifically, in the United States, substance addiction and abuse is seen as a public health problem and legal issue, and not as a disease. There is a great necessity for the government to have a better, more balanced approach toward this social problem. A change in the current policies and attitudes will help in the prevention and treatment of these types of mental disorders. Furthermore, by exploring alternative avenues toward the issue of substance abuse and addiction, the government will also assist addicts in their recovery process, and will search for reforms to the criminal justice system. By doing so, the vicious circle created by mental health, substance abuse, criminal behavior, jail, release, and recidivism, may be broken for once and for all.…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In recent years, as, largely because of the heroin epidemic, attitudes towards drug use have shifted, America has stepped towards taking a “public health” approach to ending drug use. If the government continues to address drug use and abuse as the public health crisis it is, the issue of mass incarceration can be effectively tackled. The “War on Drugs” has primarily been responsible for the dramatic increase in the number of Americans under the control of the criminal justice system, with one in every 31 adults in prison or under parole or probation today. Effectively, national drug policy has encouraged police officers and prosecutors alike to go after low level drug offenders and has done very little to curb addiction and stop drug use (73). Consequently, any attempt to decrease America’s prison population and fight mass incarceration will have to drastically change the way in which substance abuse is addressed by the government.…

    • 1107 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In October of 2002, The Psychiatric Times published the article “Addiction is a Choice” by Jeffrey A. Schaler, PhD. In the article he asserts that addiction as a disease is empirically unsupported by science, an addict can monitor and control his or her use, and the therapy used to treat such affliction only leads patients to believe that they cannot control their behavior because of the belief that they have a disease. He contends that the idea of addiction in not a disease, rather a choice, because it is merely foolish and self-destructive behavior. Schaler’s first point that science does not support the disease philosophy of addiction continues on to state that because of the lack of scientific backing, addiction is more a behavior and…

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The majority of society has a notion that alcoholism is a disease rather than a choice, however any addictive behavior is started by an individual's willingness to use the substance. “Research has shown that alcoholism is a choice, not a disease, and stripping alcohol abuser of their choice, by applying the disease concept, is a threat to the health of the individual.”(Baldwin,2003). The author argues that fraudulent research has made the disease concept accepted by society in place of calling alcoholism a choice. Baldwin points to a flaw in the research “The surveys he based his conclusions on were from a handpicked group of alcoholics.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    When Elvin Jellinek proposed the disease model of alcoholism in 1960, it was received as a welcome replacement to the moral model that had been held previously. This model posited that alcoholics could not control their drinking and required medical attention rather than incarceration (Jung, 2001, p. 41). Neil Levy, spoke against the disease model in his journal article published in Frontiers in Psychology in April 11th, 2013. His…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The type of offender that would be affected by my change in criminal justice policy would be nonviolent drug offenders. It's important to note that the nonviolent drug offenders would only be drug users, not dealers. The proposed policy decriminalizes drug use and instead would impose fines and a probationary period for violators. By decriminalizing drug use, real change may occur. Instead of throwing addicts in jail, there will be a greater emphasis on rehabilitation.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For example, alcohol when consumed regularly in large amount interferes with the liver. Putting this into consideration, we agree that addiction is a disease. Continuous use of opium may lead to addiction. However, addiction cannot be treated and it cannot be transmitted from one person to another. It is someone’s choice as to whether to continue the use of drugs or not.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is clear to everyone that the prison system is broken, yet most people choose to ignore this by just overlooking what is happening in prisons around the nation. It is known that the United States has the most prisoners of any developed country in the world. According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) about 25% of the US population is in prison, jail, or under parole or probation. (“Criminal Justice Fact Sheet”). Because of these high numbers we can certainly say that the prison system is ineffective.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Funding of Rehabilitation Programs in the Federal Prison System of America and Their Effect on Prisoners Prison rehabilitation can be defined as the re-integration into society of a person who has been convicted of crime, to counter habitual offending, also known as criminal recidivism. (Rehabilitation Center., n.d.) These rehabilitation programs can take the form of educational, artistic, recreational and drug abuse programs. Many prisons in the U.S. don’t fund a substantial quality of rehabilitation programs even though they have proven to be highly effective in reintegrating prisoners to the outside world; seen through a lowered recidivism rate in those prisons that have implemented them.…

    • 1371 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Other information like treatments and motivation will not fit research needs on the topic drug abuse on society. The date of publication for this article was in 2015 and it is very recent, making it a reliable source timewise. It is up to date with today 's information and will aid in giving reliable and credible information that is not bias to a timeliness extent. This source met all more research needs and more because it explains all impacts of drug abuse on…

    • 1811 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Drug and alcohol abuse is one of the most important social issues in this novel. Drug abuse refers to the excessive or addictive use of drugs for nonmedical purposes (“Drug Abuse,” 2015). Drug use can become a social problem when an individual becomes impaired through drug-taking behavior (Busse & Riley, 2008, p. 21). Drug and alcohol abuse lead to many serious consequences. The emotional, physical, social, psychological, and intellectual health of many children and adults are impaired and damaged by drug abuse (“Drug and Alcohol Abuse,” 2014).…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    All throughout the country, there has been a controversial discussion on the subject of how prisons should be used. People are arguing if prisons should be used for punishment or should prisons be utilized to rehabilitate the inmates? There are many people that think that punishment is the best answer because these criminals need to be taught a lesson for what they have done; although I would argue that this is not completely true. When criminals are punished it only makes them more hostile and anxious, which does not lead to any improvements for these inmates (Day).…

    • 1835 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays