Drugs and Crime Despite Efforts

Drugs and Crime

Despite efforts in trying to reduce drug usage and its link to crime, there does not seem to be any relief in sight. Without first addressing the smaller issues at hand or developing and building on what little has worked, nothing is going to be solved. It is this that Anglin et al. (2009) say in their article on Criminality and Addiction. Their main purpose in writing this article was to provide alternatives and ideas in trying to solve a problem that does not seem to be getting any better. They address the problems that are going on with the current adult and juvenile justice systems and analyze four issues that they see as needing change and/or improvement: "(1) relapse and aftercare, (2) co-occurring disorder, (3) juvenile justice programming, (4) womenis treatment" (Anglin et al., 2009).

The first main issue discussed is relapse and aftercare. With the rates of relapsing as high as they are, the authors believe that in order to avoid the reoccurrence of the problem, it needs to be resolved as soon and as effectively as it can with proper aftercare procedures (Anglin et al., 2009). The 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous (which is the program that is relevant in this case) seems to be the best approach at addressing this issue. Not only does it manage to assist many people as long-term care, but it is also beneficial financially, as it comes at very little or no cost at all (Anglin et al., 2009). This type of program addresses many of the issues that trigger a relapse, such as lack of communal support, and inefficient long-term care.

The second issue discussed is the co-occurrence of mental illness with drug addiction. It has been estimated that as many as 16% of people in drug facilities also have a mental disorder (Anglin et al., 2009). One illness cannot be cured without addressing the other, and this is an issue that the authors see as being really problematic. They suggest treatment programs that address both the appropriate type of mental illness, the severity, and direct effect that it has on the individuals, instead of grouping everyone into one same category or group when trying to find a better treatment method for these individuals (Anglin et al., 2009). This will in return have better results in treatment.

The third issue discussed is that of the juvenile justice systems. Most youth when convicted at a young age and put into these juvenile detentions enter a world that they rarely escape from. Once they go into this system, very rarely is there enough support to keep them out. In order to make these programs work, staff need to be better compensated, more professional mentors are needed to encourage youth to make something more of themselves, and better follow-up is needed (Anglin et al., 2009). Youth who are addicted to drugs have to be treated differently and in a different infrastructure for them to actually get help. Putting them into a detention hall with other violent youth, will only make them become more violent and therefore increase crime rates.

The fourth and last issue discussed was the need to have more gender-specific treatment when it comes to women. More than half of incarcerated women were under the influence of drugs when committing a crime, about 20% have a co-occurring mental disorder, and have a higher STI and HIV rate than incarcerated men (Anglin et al., 2009). These numbers show the importance of addressing women's issues separately than those of men, which in most cases does not happen. In order to properly tackle a problematic situation, a proper resolution needs to be presented.