Running head: DRUG-RELATED CRIMES 1

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DRUG-RELATED CRIMES 2

Drug-related crimes

There has been a strong connection between the use of drugs and crime rates. The

use of drugs has been reported before and after the sentencing proceeding. It is not

only the use of drugs by criminals but the reasons behind their activities that lead to

the crime. This trend has been seen for years and there has been no reduction or

betterment in the percentages. Under the criminal justice system, more than 7 million

people were under supervision in 2009. More than 1.5 million were in federal and

state prison and about 2,284,900 were incarcerated. About a quarter of the federal

prisoners and one-third of the state prisoners were reported to use the drugs at the

time of the offense. In about the last three decades there has been an increase in the

number of people who have been parole that has been doubled. It is an issue that

needed to be addressed at the state and federal state correction system. With the

increase in the correctional population, the increase in correctional spending has been

an increase in the states. There has been an increase in spending from $12billion to

$52billion from 1988 to 2009 annually. Felons are seemed to be returned to the drugs

after completing their sentence and probation period (“Criminal Justice Reform:

Breaking the Cycle of Drug Use and Crime,” n.d.).

Thesis statement

Drug use has a direct impact on the crime rate because felons being caught due to

drug crimes get involve in the drug cycle after completing their sentence hence laws

about it needs to be changed.

Arguments

Department of health and human services conducted a survey in 1991 with the

individual between the age of 18 to 49 that either their use of alcohol and drug is

likely to get them to involve in trouble with the police. Whereas people using
DRUG-RELATED CRIMES 3

marijuana were more likely to commit crimes of all kinds. For the violent crimes,

individuals taking marijuana and cocaine were 26.1% involved in violent crime

whereas this percentage was 14.6% for the people only taking alcohol (Drugs &

Crime Data Fact Sheet: Drug-Related Crime, 1994).

Department of drug use forecasting researched to find out the people tested

positive for drug use and the number they got arrested. A survey was conducted in 24

different cities. About 42% to 79% of arrestees were tested positive for drug use

whereas this percentage range for females was 38% to 85%. Moreover, the positive

drug rate was also high for both males and females who were arrested for robbery and

burglary. The same case was observed with the prostitute's females where they were

tested positive for drug use (Drugs & Crime Data Fact Sheet: Drug-Related Crime,

1994).

It was also found that felons commit the crime to get money to support their drug

use habit. According to the survey conducted by BJS, 17% of state prison inmates and

13% of jail inmates in 1991 and 1989 respectively committed crimes too but drugs.

The most common f these crimes were burglary, larceny, and robbery. Moreover, the

offer committed homicide and sexual assault did not like to commit any kind of

offense for supporting their drug habit (Drugs & Crime Data Fact Sheet: Drug-

Related Crime, 1994).

Hence it is obvious that there has been a strong connection between the use of

drugs and a criminal conviction. Moreover depending upon the types of drugs, the

crime rate varies. So, the severity of the crime increases the severity of the drug being

used by an individual. The most common reason behind this is that they are not in

their senses to think properly of their actions and their consequences.

DRUG-RELATED CRIMES 4

Moreover, it is not the drug that is always in a central position but sometimes, the

individual commits a crime to support his/her drug intake habit. So people are not

directly involved in drug crime but drugs are a reason behind their main crime. It’s

most common example is doing robbery to but drugs. But it is difficult to tell how

much amount of a drug or quantity of drug causes the occurrence of crime. If the

available rules and regulations would be effective, there would be seen any kind of

change or reduction of the drug-related crime hence there is a need for change.

Opposing view

Criminal prohibition of drugs is opposed by the American civil liberties union

that says that drug control strategy is failed by prohibition moreover it invade the

fundamental right of privacy of what people do in private. No doubt that people have

a right to privacy but at the same time, there is a limit between legal and illegal. When

a person has a grudge against somebody and kills him, it is also his acts and has a

personal reason but it is still illegal. If use is declared as illegal, there are certain

harmful impacts of it it is obvious from the percentages given above of the crime rates

with and without drug use. How can drug prohibition be removed when crime rates

vary with the severity of the drug being used by the person (“Against Drug

Prohibition” 2019).

Conclusion

There has been a high ratio of crimes related to drugs. In some cases, felons after

completing their sentence return to the drugs. It has also been observed that they

commit crimes to fulfill their drug needs. If the currently implemented rules were

effective, there would be seen any reduction-related crime-related to drugs.

As mentioned above, there is a considerable ratio of both males and females in

drug-related crimes so the laws related to it need to change. There is no need to avoid
DRUG-RELATED CRIMES 5

all laws to crimes related to drugs but the laws need to be changed. Moreover, the pre-

crime situation needed to be handle first like a student taking drugs to handle the

academic pressure needed to be tackle properly so that he does not become an addict

or a permanent supplier.
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References

Against Drug Prohibition. (2019). Retrieved from American Civil Liberties Union

website: https://www.aclu.org/other/against-drug-prohibition

Criminal Justice Reform: Breaking the Cycle of Drug Use and Crime. (n.d.).

Retrieved from The White House website:

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/criminal-justice-reform

Drugs & Crime Data Fact Sheet: Drug-Related Crime. (1994). Retrieved from

https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/DRRC.PDF