Opioid Addiction and the U.S. Legal System
Authors:
Kayla Hawking
Original Publication Site & Date: American College of Forensic Psychology 2022
Summary:
The war on drugs has significantly increased the incarceration rate of people who went to jail on drug related charges, especially among minorities. These bills criminalizing people “rested on the theory that drug use is voluntary and controllable, thus can be prevented and stopped through harsh punishment” (Earnshaw, 2020). We now know that addiction is a mental illness that is out of the person’s control and it does not discriminate, therefore, the current punishments for drug related charges will not yield their intended outcomes.
Presented by
Kayla Hawking
Institution
School of Psychology
Fielding Graduate University