Drug Use and Street Crime in Miami: An (Almost) Twenty-Year Retrospective

Inciardi, James A.; Pottieger, Anne E.

doi:10.3109/10826089809059324

Cited by 30 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Official crime records are known to underestimate the actual prevalence of criminal activity (Kirk, 2006), and especially for "victimless" offenses (e.g., sale and dealing in drugs or driving without a license), the priorities of the public authority have a great impact on the number and type of cases being prosecuted (Thorsen et al, 2009). There is a low risk of arrest for many of the income-generating crimes committed by heroin users (Inciardi & Pottieger, 1998), and drug selling is also more likely to lead to arrest than offenses such as burglary or robbery (Reuter, 1997). For this reason, it is likely that large amounts of the crime committed by our population are undetected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criminal convictions among dependent heroin users during a 3-year period prior to opioid maintenance treatment: A longitudinal national cohort study

Bukten

Skurtveit

Stangeland

et al. 2011

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment

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This study investigates frequency and types of criminal convictions among a national sample of heroin users during a 3-year period prior to opioid maintenance treatment (OMT). All heroin users (N = 3,789) in Norway who applied for and were eligible for OMT (1997-2003) were included. The OMT records were cross-linked to Norwegian crime statistics. During observation, 24,478 convictions were recorded among 60.9% of the sample. Differences of criminal convictions were found within the group; a large proportion (39.1%) had no convictions, whereas 10% of the sample was responsible for 37.8% of all convictions. Convictions for acquisitive crimes and drug crimes were the most common. Variations in the cohort's individual crime sequences were found. The heavy involvement of heroin users with the criminal justice system provides an opportunity to intervene with dependent offenders. Coordination between treatment providers and police or courts can play an important role in improving outcomes through better access to treatment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criminal convictions among dependent heroin users during a 3-year period prior to opioid maintenance treatment: A longitudinal national cohort study

Bukten

Skurtveit

Stangeland

et al. 2011

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment

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“…Committing violent crimes was not, as we assumed, associated with frequent alcohol use. Remarkably, violent crime was more likely uncommon among the crack users in this study (3.8%, and 9.7% of criminals), given the strong association between crack cocaine use and violence found in the literature [1,24,59]. We can speculate that, again, the advanced age of crack users in our sample played a major role in this finding [38] as well as systemic circumstances associated with the Dutch crack market that differ from those typically found in the USA, especially those described for the so-called ‘crack era' [24].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Criminality among drug users has been the subject of many studies, especially in relation to drugs like (crack) cocaine and heroin [1,2,3,4,5]. Research by the criminal justice system has found large proportions of arrestees who use these drugs; these individuals have illegal incomes of up to 4 times higher than arrestees who are not using illicit drugs [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criminal Involvement and Crime Specialization Among Crack Users in the Netherlands

et al. 2014

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Background/Aims: Crack users in the Netherlands are an ageing and diverse population with longstanding criminal careers. Our aim was to assess factors associated with current criminal involvement and specialization in selling drugs, property crime and violence. Method: A sample of 1,039 frequent crack users was recruited in three major Dutch cities, combining respondent-driven sampling with random institutional sampling. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to find factors associated with current criminality. Results: A total of 431 participants (41.5%) had engaged in crime in the past 30 days, mostly selling drugs (68.9%), followed by property crimes (34.4%) and a few cases of violent crime (9.7%). Younger age, homelessness, heavier patterns of use and a more prolific criminal justice history were associated with current criminality. Those receiving welfare benefits tended to be more likely to specialize only in selling drugs as opposed to (also) property crimes. Conclusion: Reducing drug use among criminally involved crack users and addressing their housing conditions could have a significant impact on reducing drug-related crime. Welfare benefits might act as protective factor against committing property crimes but not against the selling of drugs.

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“…The entrenched HIV epidemic in Miami is linked to high rates of drug abuse in these areas. For almost four decades, Miami has been both a port of entry and corridor community for the trafficking of illegal drugs, and it has been a well-known epicenter for the abuse of cocaine, crack, heroin, and other drugs (Inciardi & Pottieger 1998). …”

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confidence: 99%

An Effective HIV Risk-Reduction Protocol for Drug-Using Female Sex Workers

Surratt

Inciardi

2010

Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community

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HIV prevention is an especially salient issue for women, given the ongoing feminization of the epidemic. Female sex workers are especially vulnerable to HIV infection, particularly those who are drug-using and engage in street-based sex exchange. This paper examines risk behaviors and HIV serostatus of 806 drug-using women sex workers in Miami, Florida, and assesses the relative impact of two HIV and hepatitis prevention interventions on changes in risk behavior. Drug-using sex workers were recruited using targeted sampling strategies and were randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions -the NIDA Standard, or an innovative Sex-Worker Focused (SWF) intervention. Interview data were collected pre-intervention and 3 and 6 months post-intervention, and blood samples were collected for HIV and hepatitis B and C testing. Overall, 21% of the sample tested HIV positive. Outcome analyses indicate that both groups benefited from participation in the intervention trial. However, the SWF intervention was found to be more efficacious with reductions in unprotected oral sex, and sexual violence. These data support the importance of HIV testing and intervention programs for drug-using women sex workers. KeywordsSex workers; HIV interventions; peer counselors; drug use; sexual risk behaviors and violence Among large urban centers in the U.S., Miami remains a high-incidence community for HIV/ AIDS. Miami ranks first in the nation for new cases of HIV with an estimated rate of 48.5 per 100,000 population (CDC 2008), and the impact of HIV/AIDS has been felt most acutely in Miami's African American community (Florida Department of Health 2006). In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared HIV/AIDS among Miami's African American women -who represent 76% of all female AIDS cases in the county (MDCHD 2007) -to be at state-of-emergency levels (CDC 2001).The geographically clustered communities characterized by the highest concentrations of HIV/ AIDS in Miami also display high rates of substance abuse (Young 2006) and extremely elevated poverty rates. These neighborhoods also contain numerous illegal drug markets, further exacerbating and sustaining the environment of risk that surrounds residents of these communities (Inciardi 1995). The entrenched HIV epidemic in Miami is linked to high rates of drug abuse in these areas. For almost four decades, Miami has been both a port of entry and corridor community for the trafficking of illegal drugs, and it has been a well-known epicenter for the abuse of cocaine, crack, heroin, and other drugs (Inciardi & Pottieger 1998 Drug-using street sex workers are most visible in Miami, and although most express a preference for commercial solicitation along local prostitution "strolls" (i.e., locations where sex workers openly walk the streets soliciting customers), many resort to sex-for-drugs exchanges when they have an immediate need for drugs, when money is scarce, and when paying "dates" (customers) are few in number (Inciardi & Surratt 2001). Because ...

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Drug Use and Street Crime in Miami: An (Almost) Twenty-Year Retrospective

Cited by 30 publications

References 22 publications

Criminal convictions among dependent heroin users during a 3-year period prior to opioid maintenance treatment: A longitudinal national cohort study

Criminal convictions among dependent heroin users during a 3-year period prior to opioid maintenance treatment: A longitudinal national cohort study

Criminal Involvement and Crime Specialization Among Crack Users in the Netherlands

An Effective HIV Risk-Reduction Protocol for Drug-Using Female Sex Workers

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