Crime, poverty and punishment have for long been a subject of heated debate in the fields of sociology and criminology. Most of the criminal activities are often associated with the socio-economic factors in society, where drug-related crimes are rampant. As a result of social disorganization, family disruption, and economic inequality, there has been no proper mechanism for addressing this situation (Scutti, 2015). This paper seeks to discuss the changing face of the war on drugs in the U.S., where punishment has been the only remedy for the situation, which needs to change.
The worsening case of inequality especially on race and ethnicity has been the leading causes of the disparity on how punishment is executed in the U.S. Studies indicate that criminal convictions have consequences for employability and individual attainment and therefore affect individuals, their families, peers, and the neighborhoods. There is however an input from the community to look at the situation from a different angle (Wheelock & Uggen, 2006). According to Knafo (2013), the Seattle prosecutors and police under the (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), changed their tact by directing repeat drug offenders to schools and social workers for help.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The strategy proved to be a payoff since most criminal were changing their ways. Furthermore, Texas on the hand is campaigning for treatment programs instead of going to jail where they only advance into drug use. Other stakeholders such as Congress is also advocating for a lesser sentence for nonviolent drug offenders, which is a clear demonstration of the changing landscape on the war against drugs in the U.S. The initiative to offer treatment faces the obstacle of funding that needs to be addressed to deal with the vice.
According to Oss (2017), Opioid addiction receives many audiences from popular trade publications and press. Heroin is not abused on a large scale compared to prescription drugs which are affecting those who were never addicted to drugs. Most pain killers that come as prescription medication are expensive and are the primary cause of addiction to hard drugs when users fail to afford them. Studies conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 5.1 million Americans abuse painkillers as compared to 0.3 million who are addicts of heroin. Heroin users must afford their habit, or else they would engage in criminal activities.
It is advisable for people with opioid addiction to seek medical counsel from able doctors, whereby the insurance companies could be useful to them, if there is commitment from the government ( Yankah, 2016) . The only problem is that there are no clear policies on fighting the vice despite the dreadful outcomes of addiction.
References
Knafo, S., (2013). War On Drugs Failure Gives Way To Treatment In States, Cities. Retrieved from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/war-on-drugs-treatment_n_3792445
Scutti, S., (2015). Opiate Addiction: Sociologists Construct Distinct Profiles For Heroin And Prescription Painkiller Users. Retrieved from: https://www.medicaldaily.com/opiate-addiction-sociologists-construct-distinct-profiles-heroin-and-prescription-348938
Wheelock, D., & Uggen, C. (2006). Race, poverty and punishment: The impact of criminal sanctions on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequality. Ann Arbor, MI: National Poverty Center .
Yankah, E. (2016). When addiction has a white face . The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/opinion/when-addiction-has-a-white-face.html?_r=0
