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| We have a new devil |
| By Sarah Etter, News Reporter |
| Published: 10/23/2006 |
The latest Bureau of Justice Statistics report, Drug Use in State and Federal Prisoners indicated a rise in methamphetamine use for offenders. Some criminal justice professionals say these statistics could have been guided by existing trends, while others say it could lead to new ones. Frank Williams, a criminal justice professor at the University of Houston who focuses on corrections, says as methamphetamine use gains more attention, an increase in arrests related to the drug are to be expected. It could also mean harsher punishments “We've moved away from heroin, marijuana, cocaine and crack cocaine and now we have the idea that methamphetamine is the evil of evils. We have a new devil. If law enforcement, the federal government and drug control bureaucracy change their view of which drugs are worse, you're going to find more people arrested for meth abuse,” he predicts. Redonna Chandler, a member of the services research branch for the National Institute of Drug Abuse, an agency devoted to research on drug and alcohol abuse, says the increase in incarcerated meth users is consistent with national data on the drug. NIDA has focused on methamphetamine abuse for years and between 2000 and 2005 increased meth research funding by about 175 percent. “This report does indicate that there has been an increase. The numbers are slightly higher than they were in previous years. But, if there is an increase in the use and abuse of any particular type of drug, especially if it is illegal, it's logical that you would see an increase from those involved in the criminal justice system. “Several years ago, the focus was on crack because an increasing number of folks were using that drug. Now it's methamphetamine” Chandler explains. Williams thinks location might influence the statistics as well. “There was not a whole lot of attention to people in rural areas,” he points out. “So as we moved into a concern with that, now you see a lot of law enforcement activity going out into isolated areas hunting for this. Before, I think, some of these people were just ignored.” “That's a trend some people are seeing in some areas. It does depend where you live,” Chandler adds. “We are aware of the fact that meth is a concern specifically to criminal justice and that they within their system are seeing a greater number of folks than they have in the past.” Despite these theories, a question still remains: Are more people being arrested because meth abuse is the newest substance being targeted in anti-drug campaigns, or is there really an increase in the abuse itself? Although there does not appear to be a clear cut answer just yet, researchers do appreciate the availability of the BJS data. “Having these numbers is really helpful when we're trying to integrate public health and public safety,” says Chandler. “We need to know what is happening and what the needs are. It also helps us link drug abuse to crime. It's great that they provide this data and update it.” Related articles: Meth abuse on the rise, 10/11/06 WIDOC gives county drug court funds, 8/18/06 Marketing solution to a meth problem, 6/5/06 |
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