NCJ Number
139998
Date Published
1992
Length
95 pages
Annotation
Government officials, court administrative personnel, and other specialists were interviewed in an effort to gain a different perspective on the problem of drug abuse and to provide a useful foundation for an ongoing effort to deal with this crisis.
Abstract
The report considers the scope of the problem and identifies the role of the criminal justice system and ways the system can be improved. On the basis of the information now available, the American Bar Association does not support decriminalization of harmful drugs. Law enforcement cannot solve the national drug problem and a focus on law enforcement diverts attention and resources from other needed approaches such as prevention, education, and treatment. The American Bar Association needs to support an immediate shift in the allocation of "national drug strategy dollars" away from the 70 percent emphasis of law enforcement and towards prevention and treatment. Strict gun control measures are essential as the easy availability of guns contributes substantially to the violence associated with drug distribution and use. Regarding the drug crisis in the jails, voluntary, pre-arraignment drug testing is a useful tool in assessing risk for purposes of establishing conditions of release. 147 footnotes