Introduction
The criminal justice system is made up of various institutions, judiciary, and police, that ensure drug abuse is reduced and punishable. Increased tolerance, corruption, and ineffective mechanisms are the major challenges facing the criminal justice system’s efforts in curbing drug and substance use. However, the system can take advantage of the advanced technology and experienced Congress to fight the menace. This essay will explore how labeling and strain theories can be used to examine why individuals are involved in drugs and their related crimes. Drug abuse encumbers socio-economic development, requiring the criminal justice system to combat challenges faced when curbing drug abuse by seizing available opportunities.
Criminal Justice System and Drug Use
Socioeconomic development is anchored on the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system plays a crucial role in combating illegal drug abuse and related crimes. The police are involved in the investigation of drug-related crimes and the consequent arrest of culprits (Turlubekova, 2022). Meanwhile, the courts charge the arrested criminals based on the evidence placed before them (Huebner & Giuffre, 2022). Additionally, the courts, through precedents, can help in determining the fate of future drug-related cases. Fines and imprisonment are the commonest forms of punishment against drug lords (Webster et al., 2022). The prisons, and corrective institutions, are involved in executing punishments as directed by the courts. Therefore, the three systems must work hand-in-hand to effectively combat drug use in the U.S.
The Theoretical Approach to Curbing Drug Use
The Strain Theory
Robert K. Merton’s structural strain theory can be used to explain how social pressures can force individuals into crime. According to Robert K. Merton, an imbalance exists between cultural goals and institutionalized means (Mobley & Taasoobshirazi, 2022). The imbalance, anomie, causes tension between societal goals and means that produce unsatisfied aspirations. Therefore, the strains or stressors increase the likelihood of crime and deviant behaviors (Oh & Connolly, 2022). Some of the identified strains include poverty, neglect, loss of jobs, and criminal victimization. Strains such as family rejection can force individuals into drug abuse. For instance, it is estimated that only 44% of African Americans, the majority of drug users, have a father at home while the rest are rejected (Krumholz, 2019). It is crucial to curb social pressures that exacerbate drug and substance abuse.
Labeling Theory
The concepts of self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping can explain indulgence in drug use through the Labelling theory. The Labeling theory was advanced by various sociologists including George Herbert Mead, Thomas Scheff, and Frank Tannenbaum, among others (Smith et al., 2022). The theorists propounded that self-identity and deviant behavior can be influenced by the terms used to describe and classify individuals in a society (Heitkamp et al., 2022). Therefore, individuals who are labeled as criminals tend to indulge in crime.
Through a self-fulfilling, an originally false expectation can lead to its confirmation. Meanwhile, stereotyping involves the oversimplified idea of a certain social group. For instance, the use of a word such as “drug addicts”, “junkies”, and “drug users” influences further substance use and addiction among individuals (Kopf & Mowen, 2022, p. 342). Consequently, it is estimated that 6.9% of African Americans have substance use disorders compared to the 7.4% of the general rate of U.S. population (Kaliszewski, 2020). The criminal justice system can adopt approaches that criminalize and censor the use of words that can increase addiction among a given social group.
A Need to Curb Substance Abuse
The Effects of Drug Use
Drug abuse is associated with social, economic, and political problems in a given country. The effects of drug abuse can be described from two dimensions: impact on the victims and society in general (Salas-Wrighte et al., 2016). The impacts on the victims involve those that affect their normal functioning and effectiveness. Psychological effects encumber individual mental wellness and may include disorders such as depression and anxiety (Henningfield et al., 2022). Meanwhile, physical effects involve the damage that drugs cause to a person’s body (Salas-Wrighte et al., 2016). Liver cirrhosis, caused by excessive alcohol, and lung cancer, due to smoking, are some of the physical effects of drug abuse.
The effects of drug abuse can extend from an individual user to society. The community can be economically affected by the increased rate of drug abuse. For instance, drug addicts fail to attend to their jobs, posing economic burdens on their families. Moreover, the government has to spend a lot of money on rehabilitation facilities and drug abuse intelligence (Zulaikha et al., 2022). Society can as well be emotionally affected by the results of drug abuse. Addicts’ families find it difficult to concentrate on their work, and some of the community members can fall victim to drug-related crimes. Some of the drug-incited crimes are gender-based violence, burglary, and rape. The criminal justice system should harness the available opportunities to curb drug addiction.
Challenges of Curbing Drug Use
Although curbing drug abuse is beneficial for citizens’ well-being and socio-economic development, various challenges make it difficult. Firstly, there is increased tolerance to substance use among Americans (Carnahan et al., 2021). While the effects of drug abuse are apparent, many societies tolerate the issue. Therefore, there is little community intervention in helping the criminal justice system curb drug abuse. The increased use of social media platforms and the desire to imitate celebrities are one of the causes of increased tolerance (Henningfield et al., 2022). It is difficult for the police to identify and investigate drug-related crimes when the community is unwilling to collaborate.
Secondly, the lack of effective mechanisms to deal with drug addicts and consequent crimes is detrimental to fighting the issue. The government has prioritized other social issues, neglecting substance abuse. For instance, more resources are channeled to other health-related issues such as cancer than drug abuse. Treating and managing drug addiction is, thus, conducted at the expense of victims’ families (Carnahan et al., 2021). The high medication costs can lead to tough economic situations among the victims’ families. The limited economic and human resources in curbing drug addiction encumber the fight against the issue.
Lastly, increased corruption within the criminal justice system is detrimental to curbing drug use. Although drug abuse is criminalized in the U.S., there is an increased use of drugs among Americans and other U.S. residents (Schulenberg & Johnston, 2020). Corruption is one of the major causes of increased illegal supply within the country (Kruijt & Koonings, 2023). The police are bribed, leading to the arrest of small offenders and leaving the big drug lords scot-free. Moreover, the courts give mere punishments to drug-related criminals (Erspamer et al., 2021). The latter continues selling and supplying drugs since the fines charged are lesser than the profits made. Therefore, bribery by the drug lords within the criminal justice system perpetuates substance use, crippling socio-economic developments.
Opportunities Available and Recommendations
The underlying challenges are detrimental to the criminal justice response to drug abuse, but various opportunities can help improve the situation. The U.S. is one of the developed countries with highly advanced political systems (Erspamer et al., 2021). The country’s executive, judiciary, and legislative arms of government are composed of highly experienced individuals. Consequently, the criminal justice system can take advantage of the experienced Congress, Senate, and executive to formulate legislation around substance use. The legislation can be used to prioritize funding and resource allocation to curb substance use in the country (Carnahan et al., 2021). The majority of addicts will benefit from rehabilitative programs as enhanced by favorable legislation.
Moreover, the U.S. has advanced technological and educational systems crucial for substance abuse research. The technology can be used to develop drugs that can help control and manage substance abuse. Additionally, the technology can become handy during investigative activities related to substance use (Kopf & Mowen, 2022). For instance, tracking the drug lords and conducting intelligent activities can help reduce substance use. Furthermore, technology and advanced educational research can be integrated into healthcare organizations to track the performance of drug addicts’ treatment approaches (Trenfield et al., 2022). Combining advanced technology and education plays a significant role in curbing substance use and addiction.
Furthermore, the advent of social media and other mainstream platforms presents an opportunity to reach out to many Americans. The platforms allow communication and public discussions on matters that are crucial for socioeconomic development. Consequently, police and the judiciary can promote social media campaigns against drug abuse. The campaigns will help sensitize the public on the issue (Husniati et al., 2022). Additionally, social media campaigns can attract private corporations to fight against substance use.
Conclusion
Substance use and addiction are the major problems in the U.S. and other developed countries. Drug abuse is detrimental to physical and psychological well-being, making it difficult for individuals to become productive society members. The criminal justice system, prisons judiciary, and police are fundamental in curbing substance abuse. However, corruption, drug use tolerance, and ineffective curbing mechanisms encumber the fight against drug use. The system can take advantage of the U.S. experienced legislators, mainstream media, and advanced technology and education to address the challenges. Reducing substance use and addiction is primal for socio-economic development in the U.S.
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