The Issue of Use Illicit Substances - Research Paper Example

? Final Paper The issue of illicit substance use has been a contentious issue for a long time. It is argued that the number of drug offenders has been on the increase since 1980s. The alarming increase has led to development of several treatment and intervention programs. However, not all programs have been effective in alleviating the problem. This paper will articulate on several treatment and intervention methods that have been adopted and their contribution to treatment of drug offenders. Nonetheless, there are apparent challenges that face both treatment providers and offenders. This paper will assess some of these challenges. Some legislation stipulates how these offenders need to be handled. The paper will also evaluate how such legislations play a part in drug matters. The paper will also focus on traditional policing modalities and alternative policing methods. FIRST PART Introduction The issue of use illicit substances has been a problem for many decades. Several factors have been under investigation for their contribution to use of these substances. Researches have indicated that due to increase in population, levels of poverty have also increased. Desire to climb the social ladder has brought up life complications, which leads to people engage in substance use. The nature and type of offender population Generally, researches have indicated that the biggest percentage of people who engage in substance abuse come from poor backgrounds. Due to desperation in life, many people especially the youths are engaging in drug use. Although poverty is argued to be the primary and a major cause, Gaines & Miller, (2011) argued that not all cases of drug use are directly linked to poverty; however, most of other causes are as a result of poverty. For example, when parent are unable to provide education to their children because of the poverty situation, they may tend to engage into use of illicit substances. In fact, studies have indicated that areas with low levels of education experience high rates of substance abuse. At the same time, areas with high levels of crime rates have been argued to have high rates of substance abuse. This can be argued to be true because as people engage in crime, Mays & Winfree, (2009) noted that the majority of the offenders tend to commit misdeeds under the influence of drugs. Therefore, they tend to use drugs more in order to keep them high. Though the issue of bad parenting has not been elucidated, it is believed that bad parenting contributes to children engaging in drug use. In fact, studies have indicated that children brought up by permissive parent tend to engage in unruly behaviors more that children brought up by authoritative parents. However, regardless of the kind of parenting style used to rear children, curiosity, electronic media, and peer pressure have also been cited for having a share in influencing people to indulge in substance abuse. Current demographical characteristics and crime statistics Drug offence related cases involves, manufacture, distribution, possession or use of illicit drugs. It is believed that drug offender population increased between 1998 and 2005. This increase was rated to be 18% average annual growth (Gaines & Miller, 2011). However, these statistics reduced from 2006 to 2010 at a rate of 19%. Researches have also indicated that the biggest percentage of people involved in drug offenses are men. 56% of drug offenders are currently serving a sentence from outside the metropolitan area. This has led to prison overcrowding, whereby the federal prison system is currently running at 19 % more that it’s required capacity. In fact, studies have indicated that the increase in drug offenders is the major cause of increase prison population. This has led to challenges to prisoners and the prison staff. It is argued that, since 1980s, the prison system has become a home to drug offenders. In this regard, it is apparent that more stringent measure needs to be taken on order to alleviate the problem. In light with this, effective and supervised drug treatment needs to be endorsed. However, although such institutions exist in prisons, it would be necessary if they are extended to other institutions such as schools and families. In fact, studies have indicated that extending these services to other institutions would be less expensive than putting these offenders in prison (Gaines & Miller, 2011). If anything, when they are imprisoned, offenders are punished, but they are accorded little assistance as far as helping them refrain from drugs is concerned. Effective treatment modalities Drug rehabilitation is a term used to describe the process of medical and psychotherapeutic treatment for persons with dependency on substance abuse. There are several rehabilitation programs for substance abuse. However, not all of them are effective. Nevertheless, the primary goal is to rehabilitate drug offenders. Psychotherapy therapeutic This is an approach used by counselors to influence conscious thoughts and behavior. According to Leukefeld, et al., (2011), it includes techniques such as reverting negative thoughts, problem solving, anxiety and general behavior techniques. This approach has developed a counseling process, which involves exploring offender’s problem, motivating them, assisting them set goals, and above all, helping them maintain the changes they gain during the recovery process. Cheering them up is also part of this approach. This helps the offender to have a optimistic outlook towards life, in addition to, pointing out the ills of drugs. Preventive alcoholism and drug addiction counseling Although the involvement of counselors in the rehabilitation process is an important aspect, it is equally necessary to have measures to prevent drug cases. This comes in terms of involving counselors in group counseling and other community based incentive that helps prevent drug cases (Gaines & Miller, 2011). In this approach, counselors may decide to incorporate former drug addicts in the general counseling sessions. This has intentions of encouraging those that might be in the plan to start using drugs to stop. In this approach, counselors help the group on issues like poverty and how it can be addressed. This approach is also used as a form of out patient treatment for former drug offenders. Support-expressive psychotherapy This approach is known to work for offenders with hard drug problems. This technique involves supportive technique, which helps the patient feel free and comfortable when discussing their drug related problems (Leukefeld, et al., 2011). The approach also involves expressive techniques, which helps the offender indentify improve interpersonal relationship. The approach is argued to help offenders withstand withdrawal signs experienced during the recovery process. Relapse prevention Cognitive strategies are set on the theory of the learning process, which helps in the development of maladaptive behavioral patterns. In this approach, offenders are helped to learn to identify and correct problematic behaviors. In fact, relapse encompasses various cognitive strategies that fuels abstinence. Some of the specific techniques involve exploring positive and negative consequences of drug use, self motivation, and developing strategies for coping with a desire to use drugs (Leukefeld, et al., 2011). A core principle of this approach is to help offenders develop coping strategies. Ineffective treatment modalities Although efforts have been put by the criminal justice system to treat drug offenders, not all of them can be said to be effective. For example, when drug addicts are put into prison and subjected to programs like boot camps, it is apparent that their primary problems are not addressed. In fact, studies have indicated that the majority of drug offenders subjected to such programs and fail to be subjected to effective treatment programs tend to go back to drugs even after being released from prison (May, 2008). Having treatment programs in prison is a good idea, but if more comprehensive programs that follow up drug offenders after being released from prison are not put in place, it is highly likely that these offenders would tend to go return to substance abuse upon being freed from prison. In light with this, it is appropriate to indicate that not a single program can be argued to wholly elucidate drug problems. For example, a relapse prevention program whose main goal is to help offenders develop coping strategies can not be said to be effective if other programs are not incorporated. For instance, although relapse would help the offender to cope with withdrawal symptoms, it does not offer strategies to tackle circumstances that make individuals indulge in drugs (May, 2008). In fact, the primary goal of treatment programs should focus on addressing the root cause of the drug problem, which revolves around life challenges. Challenges faced by treatment providers Although the main objective of any treatment program is to ensure that offenders quite drugs, it is apparent that these programs are faced with a problem of complication of other diseases drug offenders have. For example, a counselor may play his/her part by counseling offenders, but could not be in apposition to indentify other problems the offender could be having (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Treating drug offenders with other problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, or HIV among other illnesses could be a bit tricky. In this regard, a counselor would first need to refer the offender to a specialized physician for primary care. The process of incorporating primary care providers and substance service providers can at times become cumbersome as they try to incorporate medical and behavioral services. In some situations, the criminal justice processes pose a challenge to treatment providers. This is apparent in situations where courts incorporate probation officers in determining offenders legible for treatment services. In addition, treatment providers have a problem dealing with drug offenders with criminal history, and who would not be willing to change whatsoever (Vigne, et al., 2006). Challenges faced by offenders It is argued that the primary challenge of drug offenders is the individual attitudes. Some offenders have difficulties accepting that they can change. This is highly attributed to some challenges they face in life. For example, a drug addict who entered into drugs due to poverty would find it hard to quite as long as he remains to be poor. Another major challenge is the external factors which involves perception of the society on drug offenders. Discrimination is eminent to drug offenders and any incarcerated person in general La (Vigne, et al., 2006). In fact, even after offenders are fully rehabilitated, but are ridiculed and discriminated over by the society, most of them tend to go back to their old habits. Another major challenge to offenders is the fact that they have to undergo torture during detox process. Withdrawal symptoms are not an easy thing. They are unbearable as they incorporate both physical and mental complications. Some of them experience depression and other psychological disorders. For some offenders, drugs give them pleasure and joy. In this regard, it is not an easy task for them to change their belief, and to some extent, an attempt to treat them may backfire, and it may take a long duration to convince them understand the disadvantages of drugs. SECOND PART Legal cases whose outcomes have helped shape legislation related to how drug offender population is treated As discussed earlier, drug related cases have led to prison overcrowding. The fact is that some of these prisoners are convicted and incarcerated for committing minor offences, which can be prevented anyway. For example, a young man stressed up due to some life challenging situations indulges in substance abuse as a means of reducing stress. When the young man is convicted and imprisoned for engaging in dugs, his problems are not solved. It would be better if the young man was assisted on how to overcome his daily life stressing circumstances and offered remedies on how to keep off the drugs. A good example of a case that highlights the importance of such remedies was the case of Coleman v. Brown filed in 1990 (Supreme Court of the United States., 2010). It is argued that the district court found that a majority of prisoners in northern districts of California had serious mental illnesses did not receive adequate care. In Plata v. Brown, filled in 2001, the state conceded that deficiencies in prisons were deteriorating as a result of increased overcrowding and this violated prisoner’s Eighth Amendment rights. With such legal cases, it is apparent that something needs to be done to reduce prison overcrowding. In fact, it would be true to argue that cases of increased mental illness in prison could be as a result of untreated cases of drug offenders, who could be facing withdrawal symptoms. One of the most common substance laws that can be said to effectively address such cases is the drug medicalization, abuse prevention and control act of 1998 (Legislative council., 2002). Among other stipulations, the law requires that drug abuse problems of convicted persons are best handled through court, but supervised by drug abuse treatment and education programs. The law adds that these programs are more effective than just locking drug offenders. Explain what traditional policing modalities are used in apprehending this offender population There are various traditional policing modalities that have been used to apprehend the offender population. Within the traditional policing model, the police officer usually responds when a call comes in from a crime scene or occurrence. Once the officer respond to the call, he drafts down a report and hands over the investigation to a detective, who takes up the report or file in search of the real truth (Took, 2005). In most cases, an officer has little interactions with the community at large to the extent of not knowing anybody and the community does not also recognize him. With regard to users of substances like drugs, methods such as routine patrol, random responses to call for service, arrest, investigation, law enforcement information sharing are very important. Arrests Drug offenders can be arrested for various reasons. Arrests are the vital and indispensible functions that are held by the police all over the world. Though it is generally not an effective way to develop long term solutions to crime, it signals the presence of the law putting into consideration that most of the offenses do not end up in arrests. However, this type of policing ensures that the offenders are put through judicial processes for the crimes they have committed (Took, 2005). Routine Patrol Routine Patrol also known as the ‘beat cop’ patrolmen drive around a specific geographic area often in a squad car or better still patrol a neighborhood on foot, bicycle or even a horse. This patrol is important in that it creates a notion of omnipresence for law enforcers that helps discourage any opportunity for misconduct by creating a sense of security for the community and deterrence for probable criminals. This kind is traditional policing mostly entails a routine eyeing in anticipation of desired outcomes ensures that the drug users have slim opportunities to practice substance abuse because they cannot predict when the police will bump into them (Took, 2005). Rapid Response to Calls for Service This is another policing that is frequently used in curbing drug use. This policy involves participation of people in enhancing a crime free environment. The people take the responsibility of calling the police in case there is any occurrence of crime or crimes (May, 2008). The police in return take the call and set out to act. In most case, the police aim at implementing this rapid response by making the arrest, and having to catch the perpetrator red handed at the scenes of crime. Though this method is not commonly used, the distinctive concern about it is that it gets the criminals red-handed especially in dens of crimes where they practice substance abuse consequently discouraging the criminals from forming dens where they perfume criminal acts. Investigation This method of traditional policing necessitates conducting inquiries in order to dig deeper into certain criminal occurrences to gather full details. In essence, the police conduct investigation functions so as to solve crimes. Unsolved felonies call for experienced detectives more so in incidents where apprehended suspects have confessed to having committed the crimes then substantial investigation is crucial (Took, 2005). For instance, majority of the people who abuse substances can be involved in different kinds of crime within the society, which call for a thorough investigation. Through this, the police are able to explain why these crimes are committed plus give them an opportunity to prosecute the offenders. Law enforcement information sharing Traditional policing has also put into emphasis the importance role of partnership and sharing of information with and within other law enforcement bodies. Information that involves suspected offenders may be often shared to ensure that all the relevant people have this information (May, 2008). Drug offenders are a category of people who are capable of committing different crimes at different geographical locations. In this regard, sharing information within the law enforcement is very crucial. It ensures that police have information about the frequency of times that offences are committed by particular individual or groups of criminals. All in all, traditional policing modalities, serve as cores in most of the law enforcement agencies like the policed departments with their implementation being of high standards. Explain what alternative policing methods and community policing methods would also assist in crime control related to this population Nevertheless, there are alternative to traditional policing, which could be used in curbing crime that is related to drug offenders. These alternatives include community policing, government protection function and the zero tolerance policing (Greene, 2000). Community Policing This type of policing has been widely use in place of traditional policing due to its advancement in curbing crimes. Community policing entails the systematic use of partnership and problem- solving methods in orders to address immediate situations that give ascend to public safety issues such as crimes, fear of crimes and social disorders (Cheurprakobkit, 2002). Mostly, it is done by coming together of the community and the police. This correlation dictates that the community and the police are into the business of fighting crimes in a friendly manner in the society. For instance, the community is able to give information about people who abuse substances like drugs and the crimes that they commit within the society. The safety of the public should be treated like a government function and not a police function. Although the public takes the police as the source of safety, it is the role of every government to offer safety or security to its citizens. This safety can be given by ensuring that there is enforcement of building codes that help property owners to responsibly maintain their properties hence discouraging in crimes in and around the properties. In addition, they should tire on economic development, which influences the type of people and blend of commerce that is in particular parts of the state, which in turn translates to reduction of crimes (Cheurprakobkit, 2002). Job opportunities also emanate from the development of economy in any given state, public health institution, public libraries, social services among other issues. Zero Tolerance Policing Zero tolerance policing serves as an alternative to traditional policing. It refers to the stringent enforcement of laws that the police might otherwise not have enforced as well as exercising their authority on the criminals and the issues that pertain to crime (Cheurprakobkit, 2002). In essence, this policy leaves the offender especially those that use dugs with frustrations and in frightening position hence giving them slim opportunities to commit crimes. However, it is argued that this kind of policy at times is surrounded by unintended negative consequences. Identify approaches in crime control that could be implemented by households, schools, and the community as a whole. There are various ways of controlling the use of substances in our house holds, schools and the community as a whole. Households Curbing crime in households entails the proper counseling from parents to their children on the dangers that are caused by the consumption of drugs. Parents should take the responsibility of looking after their children by knowing what kind of involvement the children have in terms of friends and the daily routines (Cheurprakobkit, 2002). Substance use has been rated as a major crime that has swept away the young generation with statistics indicating that, it is the major contributor of most of the other crimes all over the world. Peer pressure has been mention as the major entry to this behavior. Schools Schools too should be in a position to curb crime by emphasizing on the importance of education as compared to the life of using substances. In addition, schools should be able to instill discipline to the learners to the extent of ensuring that the learners understand the danger of the outside world without education plus effects of drugs, consequences and prevention. This ensures that the learners are not tempted to try involving themselves in such activities (Cheurprakobkit, 2002). Community The community has the biggest part to play in crime prevention. It should ensure that it comes up with several activities for its members especially what the young people should involve themselves in. Social services and recreational facilities such as play grounds and parks should be set aside to enable the members engage their minds especially when they have nothing serious to work on. Moreover, the community should be able to dictate the kind of life that it members ought to involve themselves with (Cheurprakobkit, 2002). For instance, they should set rules on any participation in crime activities and the kind of punishment that should be given upon breaching of the rules. This ensures that people live in accordance to what is correct for the society as a whole. Bearing in mind that the use of substances or drug abuse is the mother of all other criminal activities, it is only advisable that the judicial system stiffens its fight against crime so as to discourage the offenders and those who view crime as a positive act from participating or further involvement in it. Moreover, the community should also cooperate with police in discouraging crime at the ground level (Greene, 2000). This way, the crimes will do down drastically. Conclusion Some of the reasons why people indulge in drugs include poverty, bad parenting style, curiosity, electronic media influence, and peer pressure. Drug offender population has been on the increase since 1980s. Some of the effective treatment modalities include psychotherapy therapeutic, preventive alcoholism and drug addiction counseling, support-expressive psychotherapy, and relapse. Ineffective treatment modalities include all programs that do not comprehensively address problems of offenders. Different treatment programs need to be incorporated in order to address all concerns of offenders. Challenges faced by treatment providers include a problem of complication of other diseases drug offenders have and the criminal justice processes pose a challenge to treatment providers. Challenges faced by offenders include individual attitudes, external factors, withdrawal signs, and some of them experience depression and other psychological disorders during the treatment process. Abuse prevention and control act of 1998 requires that drug abuse problems of convicted persons are best handled through court, but supervised by drug abuse treatment and education programs. In traditional policing policies, officers have little interactions with the community. Main events of this modality involve arrests, routine patrol, rapid response to call for service, investigation, and law enforcement information sharing. Alternative policing methods may include community policing and zero tolerance policing. References: Cheurprakobkit, S. (2002). Community policing: training, definitions and policy implications, An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 25, 4: 709-725. Gaines, L. & Miller, R. (2011). Criminal justice in action. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. Co. Greene, J. (2000). Community Policing in America: Changing the Nature, Structure and Function of the Police. Criminal justice, 3: 299-370. La Vigne, G. et al. (2006). Prisoner reentry and community policing: Strategies for enhancing public safety. Washington: Urban Institute. Legislative council. (2002). Proposition 203: drug medicalization, prevention and control act of 2002. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/45leg/i112002dmpca.pdf. Leukefeld, C. et al. (2011). Handbook of evidence-based substance abuse treatment in criminal justice settings: New York: Springer. May, C. (2008). Corrections and the criminal justice system. Udbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Pub. Mays, G. L. & Winfree, T. L. (2009). Essentials of Corrections. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Supreme Court of the United States. (2010). Brown, governor of California, et al. V. Plata et al. Retrieved on 26th August 2012 from: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09- 1233.pdf. Took, G. (2005). Therapeutic Jurisprudence and the Drug Courts: Hybrid Justice and Its Implications For modern Penalty. Internet Journal of Criminology, 2: 1-55. Read More