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Drug Use and Justice: An Examination of California Drug Policy Enforcement

In 1996, California had the highest drug offender incarceration rate of 115 per 100,000 of the population, 2.5 times the national average of 45 per 100,000. This situation was caused by a harsher approach to drug crime that is based on deterrence and incapacitation theory. An examination of the role stricter drug law enforcement plays in the increase or decrease of violent crime, property crime, and drug abuse rates from 1980-98 is presented. The findings show that decreases in crime rates and drug use are not strongly associated with stricter drug enforcement. In fact, those counties that make fewer arrests and/or concentrate only on felony drug offenses experience the greatest decrease in crime rates. Accession Number: 016476

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