Drugs, Crime, and Their Relationship: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

This book provides an overview and analysis of the many facets of the drug-crime relationship. The opening chapters discuss drugs and crime separately for the purpose of setting the stage for later discussions on drug-crime relationships. As the book proceeds, the boundaries between drugs and crime blur, thus revealing the complex and intimate relationship that links these two behaviors. Drugs, Crime, and Their Relationship is divided into four sections. The first section offers an introduction and overview of theories on drugs, crime, and their relationship. The second section explores the relevant research on the biological, psychological, sociological, and static/situational correlates of drug-crime relationships. The third section considers the practical implications of drug-crime connections for the criminal justice system, offender assessment, and treatment programming. The fourth and final section examines the policy implications of the drug-crime relationship in the form of prevention, harm reduction, and society’s response to drugs and drug-related crime.