NCJ Number
227871
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 49 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 513-531
Date Published
July 2009
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined the validity of the taxonomy developed by Paul Goldstein (1985) in explaining the causal connection between drug use and crime across different crime types.
Abstract
Goldstein divided explanations of the drug-crime connection into three models: "economic compulsive" (crime as a means of getting money to support drug use); "psychopharmacological" (drug effects resulting in a change or impairment in cognitive functioning that precipitates criminal behavior); and "systemic" (crime occurs as part of the system of drug distribution and use). The current study draws three primary conclusions. First, Goldstein's taxonomy must be placed in an explanatory hierarchy that shows the relationship between broader social contexts, middle-range explanations, and more detailed mechanisms. This is because the causal connection between drug use and crime is likely to vary by cultural context and perhaps even location. The second conclusion is that theoretical development must be based on empirical evidence. In order to achieve this, more work is needed on the detailed mechanisms that link drug use and crimes. The current study has advanced this effort by identifying some of the subcategories involved; however, larger surveys should be conducted across time and locations. The third conclusion is that study findings support the conclusions drawn in the 2001 forum for researchers sponsored by the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice (NIJ). One of the forum papers that focused on Goldstein's taxonomy concluded that no single model could explain all drug-related crime and that more attention must be given to the variations in the relationship between different drugs and different crimes, as well as the effects of demographic differences such as gender and ethnicity (MacCoun et al. 2003). The current study interviewed drug-abusing offenders currently serving prison sentences in the United Kingdom. The interviews focused on the role of drug use in the inmates' recent crimes. 2 tables and 28 references