The Link Between Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Leading to Homelessness

Table of contents

According to the article, “The connections between substance abuse and mental illness”, it says that one of the biggest connection between substance abuse and mental illness is self-medicating. People want to medicate or numb the issues they are facing by using drugs or alcohol. The article gave an example that a depressed person may use marijuana to numb the pain, or a person who has social anxiety might drink to feel more comfortable in social situations. When dealing with a mental illness or alcoholism, it’s important that the person struggling gets both issues addressed so they can be dealt with at the same time.

The article also states that the untreated symptoms of mental illness can make it difficult for a person who is in recovery to remain clean and sober. Untreated substance abuse will and can make mental health treatment ineffective. In this article, it only talked about the connection between substance abuse and mental illness; but, one could say these two could lead to homelessness. Understanding the reasons why people become homeless may help connect the other two factors and how they tie together. Most people become homeless because of illness, disability, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, divorce, depression and mental illness; these are all factors of why one is homeless.

According to the article stated above, “substance abuse is a result of homelessness rather than a cause. People that become homeless often turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their situations(the connection between mental illness and substance abuse)”. This argument makes sense if you’re in a situation like this and are feeling a loss of hope; self-medicating gives them temporary relief. Researchers explain the correlation between mental illness and substance abuse, but not the correlation between all three. For example, mental illness and substance abuse both need to be addressed; without these issues being addressed this could cause a spiral downhill which in result could end with people being homeless.

According to an article Substance Abuse and Homelessness “Two-thirds of homeless people reported that drugs/alcohol were major reasons for their becoming homeless”. This quote shows that mental illness and substance abuse are two major issues that need to be handled before we can even address homelessness. If two-thirds (of homeless people) report that substance abuse is the cause to becoming homelessness, getting them resources they need to help them, we could possibly have less homeless people.

In my local area, I know of one homeless shelter which is the Harmony House. The policy there is you cannot be currently addicted to drugs or alcohol, you must be completely clean and sober prior to coming to the house and must remain that way during your time of stay. If caught abusing the policy you are put out. One other resource in the Mansfield area that is available to people is Mansfield Residential Treatment which requires inpatient treatment for twenty-four hours providing you with a variety of different treatment options; this type of program is more for people who have a severe addiction problem.

The second resource is Mansfield Partial Hospitalization program which allows patients to travel to a treatment facility during the day and receive treatment, this way you can still live at home and still get the help you need. The last resource is Mansfield Outpatient Program still able to receive treatment without having to spend a lot of time in facilities.

I think giving homeless people shelter first is a good idea, I believe you’ve got to tackle one issue at the time. The first issue that needs to be addressed is getting homeless people off the streets where they have the easier to drugs and alcohol. After they are off the streets, let’s get them the help and resources they need for their mental illness, addiction, or both whatever the case may be. But there is no way one will even want the help if they are not even stable with food, clothes and shelter. Turning our backs on them is only going to make the situation much worse. Let’s be the change we want to see in the world and our community. Government and private organizations should provide funding for developing and running homeless shelters. With the government’s assistance with funding I think we could get a lot more people off the street, sober, back on their feet and working again. When people hit a rough patch and lose it all, that does not mean we close the door on them.

What Can Social Workers Do?

Social workers need to advocate for homeless people and help others recognize the issues and human rights. The article, “Social workers role in ending the criminalization of homelessness: Opportunities for actions”, states the following,” Social workers must promote the recognition and protection of the human rights of people experiencing homelessness. One way to achieve these goals is through legal advocacy to challenge the unconstitutionality of anti-homeless laws” (Aykanian, A., & Wonhyung, L). Social workers are to be a support system for those who are homeless. Instead of arresting people for being homeless, let’s provide them safety and security. For the time being, let’s create a system that protects them.

For example, Rhode Island and Illinois created a bill of rights that protect homeless people from being arrested for being homeless. They also have access to transitional shelters along with free storage for those who are experiencing homelessness. On a micro level, social workers can meet with each homeless person or families individually and see what situation they are in: how they became homeless and examine how they are acting, do they appear under the influence, withdrawn do they appear to have a mental illness, looking for these and taking mental notes could help us figure out what’s the next step and which resources to provide for them.

On a macro level, social workers could bring community members and law enforcement together and educate them on homeless people; I do not think enough people understand that homeless people need help and it could happen to anybody no matter what your socioeconomic status is. In the article stated above it claims, “Furthermore, homeless individuals are often incarcerated for low-level crimes and offensive behavior” (Fitzpatrick & Myrstol, 2011). In fact, homeless people are commonly incarcerated for violating nuisance ordinances, such as camping without a permit, begging, and public intoxication (Aykanian, A., & Wonhyung, L.)”.

People are so quick to incarcerate the homeless instead of getting them help and resources they need. These insignificant crimes are not enough to lock someone up; why take up jail space for such minor crimes when that space could be used for people are out committing more severe crimes? Locking homeless people up for being homeless is not fair and will not fix the situation. On the topic of helping at a macro level, the article states, “social workers could also help reduce the stereotypes that people have on homeless people through public awareness campaign to address negative public sentiment or attitude” (Aykanian, A., & Wonhyung, L).

Since mezzo falls right in between macro and micro, social workers could talk to the council of a community and see if their could be someway they could fund alternatives for homeless people, that meet basic needs such as using the bathroom, showering etc. For example,” in an effort to reduce arrests for public urination, Portland, Oregon, built four solar-powered 24-hour public restrooms, providing a cost-effective benefit to homeless people and the general public” (Aykanian, A., & Wonhyung, L.). Thats one simple step that could reduce arrest for the homeless. It’s the simple changes that could make a difference, one step at a time.

What Can You Do?

As an individual, I would address the issues of substance abuse and mentally ill homeless people in my community by starting an education support group, that would educate people about what substance abuse is, what mental illness is and what kind of a toll it takes on people. I think the poeple in the community need to be more aware and understanding of people who are homeless and battling addiction and mental illnesses. In an article, “The role of functional social support in treatment retention and outcomes it said there were three kinds of support groups that was supportive to people in some way. “The older patients group which was for 55 years or older, A women’s group and occupational therapy (Dobkin, P. L., Civita, M. D., Paraherakis, A., & Gill, K)”. These all relate someway back to mental health and substance abuse.

The barriers that might come in between are not being able to have an open location to start this support group, people not caring enough and not showing up, and simply not being educated enough. To reduce these barriers I could definitely get out in my community more and educated myself on homelessness as well as do my research and talk to people personally who are affected by this and ask them what they would like to see done in the community.

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Drugs in Lebanon

Facts and Official Action Cannabis has been grown in the Beak valley ever since the Roman Empire, despite the laws prohibiting it. A long-running measure by the government before the Civil War was to burn the fields before the yearly harvest. The war stopped that action and the country became one of the most prominent in the world in the production & export of illicit drugs, reaching its peak in the late sass’s at 1000 tons of cannabis resin and 3 to 5 tons of heroin, which had only been introduced a few years earlier.

In the early says, after the war ended, the eradication began again, but with the absence of alternative income sources and the promise of international aid that never materialized, this action plunged the local population in dire poverty, so much so that they have nothing more to lose and so they replant their crops every year. The culture and production had been In steady decline, and by 2002, most of It was Limited to the extreme north of the valley. But due to the rising political unrest since 2005, it has significantly increased again.

With the close watch of the land and sea borders for the traffic of arms, whisking of drugs out of the country has become harder, thereby forcing the growers to broaden local markets, increasing the local consumption, which has now become a serious epidemic amongst the Lebanese youth. In 1998, Lebanon passed Law 673, which stated that drug addiction was not a crime in itself. But there was no real implementation of the policy, and the Government continued offering only two choices: prison or abstinence.

With some of the dealers being politically protected, and thus unreachable. Punishment came hard on users. They were caught, trialed, and held in conventional prisons for varying periods. However, recently, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of State for Administrative Reform stated clearly that addiction should be placed midway between crime and Illness, and that the addict should be treated Instead of imprisoned with criminals, murderers, & traffickers which will be nothing but an additional cause for drug use.

They are starting to promote cooperation between Government and No’s where the addicts is caught and sent to rehab for proper treatment. Many dealers were and continue to be seized, as fortunately, action now concentrates on the root of the problem rather than the consequence. However, the Government still has a long way to go, as no official studies have Eden conducted on menders, prattles, Ana correct governmental reenrolled processes, and no rehabilitation centers are government-based.

Numbers and Non- Governmental Organizations There are currently 7 available rehabilitation centers in Lebanon, all No’s, offering awareness, prevention, non-residential programs to short or long residential programs. Their success rates are more or less high, depending on the programs they offer and their social reintegration processes. The centers are Mum el Nor, Skunk, Jejuneness Anti Drogue DAD), Jejuneness Centre la Drogue COD), Bonjour du Ceil, Cancel De la Lumpier, and Horizons.

To report accurate numbers would be impossible, as no serious official study of the matter has ever been conducted. Some incomprehension studies conducted by unofficial bodies, namely rehabilitation enters, and mainly in the region of Beirut alone show the following statistics: There are 10,000 to 15,000 estimated drug addicts in Lebanon, of which 2000 are female. This number could rise significantly if studies on other regions are conducted. 24% of prison inmates are drug users. Around 700 addicts receive treatment per year.

A soaring 49% of all addicts fall in Beirut, with the other 51% divided amongst 6 other regions. Drug-related deaths are very underreported, and that for several reasons, mainly pertaining to the taboo nature of the issue, where families prefer to disguise he reason of death, when disclosing it might help other users. Average age for first time use has dropped dramatically from 28 years in 1996 to 17 in 2000, to 15 in 2009, with 60% between 14 and 19, to 22% between 20 and 24, to 9% between 25 and 29, to small portions after that.

As for educational level, the highest rate falls within people who have reached complementary school with 31%, but this does not indicate that education prevents addiction, as lower levels like primary school and illiteracy together represent only 18% whereas higher levels like some or full university education represents 27%. Socio-economical status seems to be more defining, as medium class contains 57% of addicts, versus 38% for low class, and only 6% for high class. But it is also important to note that the classes themselves are not equally divided.

What is most interesting is that 80% of all addicts are single, divorced, or separated, with only 20% married, which clearly states that people with less responsibility and sense of purpose tend to fall deeper into that abyss. As for drug- related diseases, 43% of addicts show psychopathology diseases, whether before he addiction and leading to it, or after it, as effects of it, 25% have other chronic diseases, 20% Cardiovascular, 17% Hepatitis C, 7% Pulmonary, 2% allergies, 2% Diabetes, and 0. 5% AIDS. Needle sharing is not uncommon, and if it happens with AIDS or HIVE patients, these diseases will soon become an epidemic in Lebanon.

Cannabis has the highest abuse rate at 66% but is considered a soft drug, less harmful than Heroin, which has a high rate of 65%, versus Cocaine 56%, Alcohol 47%, Ecstasy 20%, Amphetamines 13%, LSI 8%, and inhalants 2%. It is clear that poly substance use is very common. Cocaine and LSI are rising fast. It is very important to note that all the above numbers represents addicts, not occasional users. It is not uncommon to see people at parties having smoked cannabis, snorted cocaine, or popped ecstasy. So what makes an addict? Addiction is a disease, but it in not contagious.

In order to develop, it needs the right accommodation AT assistance, personality, Ana solo-cultural Doctors. I en assistance needs to have addictive properties and has to meet the specific needs of the user. For example, Cocaine will satisfy a person with underlying low self-esteem, while Heroin would be the drug of choice for an overly sensitive person. The person needs to have genetic predispositions, psychological fragility, problematic relationships, and some sort of frail social skills, and of course certain expectations of what the drug would do for them.

An antisocial or aggressive personality or morbid traits would also be determining factors. The socio-cultural factors should reflect some chaos and uncertainty, like a chaotic home or ineffective parenting, low communication, war, unemployment, or poverty in a consumer society, failures, loss of values, and the availability of the drug, affiliations with drug abusing peers, or peer pressure. Put together, these three factors are a fertile ground where addiction will grow and thrive until the person realizes that instead of solving his problems, it is making things much worse.

What starts as an attempt to self-medicate ultimately backfires. Instead of treating the problem, drugs simply mask the symptoms. The problem is still there, but now, there are more issues at hand. Relationships are worse, poverty is accentuated, performance is hindered, and added to all the previous drawbacks is he acquired dependency to a substance that is potentially fatal. By then, it is too late, but only to an extent. An addict typically tends to be in denial as a strong defense mechanism for the substance that has now become his life.

It matters more than anything else, more than friends, than family, than loved ones, than life itself. More than him. He has forgotten how to function without it, and even if he does realize that he is not really functioning, and that he is in a fast cycle of self- destruction, he cannot do much about it on his own. The drugs have altered his rain, literally altered the way it looks and functions. Overcoming the addiction is not simply a matter of willpower. It is a disease and should be treated by professionals. In Utopia For a society to be free of drug addiction, the grounds have to be made infertile.

Of course, the substance has to be made unavailable, the dealers caught and punished, the laws applied, the pharmacists infused with conscience, or at least punished so hard that they fear doing wrong. But even if the substance were hard to control, the other factors could be dealt with. The government would concentrate on the people it as elected to serve in the first place. It would strive to provide political and economic stability, health care, Job opportunities, and a secure future, giving the people a sense of pride, values, patriotism, and the feeling of belonging.

If it weren’t perfect in the first place, and suddenly acquires a conscience, it could contain addicts and treat them by opening rehabilitation centers or helping existing ones grow, setting solid reintegration processes, and providing free psychological support and treatment to both addicts and their families (and other citizens). After all, it did argyle have a hand in their misfortunes in the first place. Finally, parents would know better than to become parents if they are unstable. They would treat their own issues before having children and passing on to them the troubles acquired from their own parents and past experiences.

They would seek treatment to rid themselves of the frustration, the intolerance, and the shattered values caused by years of strife and instability. They would understand the importance of a stable none, loving support, detective responsibility, g values, Ana realistic expectations. Sadly, Lebanon is no Utopia. The Government continues to arrogantly refuse to assume its role as rightful servant and protector, and parents continue to ignore their responsibility of providing love before money, and security before comfort.

So it falls on our shoulders, yours and mine, to act with continuous awareness and assume the responsibility of grace. A closer look Most common international narcotics can be found in Lebanon. Taking a closer look at their nature and their effects will help a better understanding of why they are used. A drug, or psychoactive substance is any natural or synthetic chemical that has he ability to affect thinking, feeling, senses, and/or behavior, by acting in the brain on mechanisms that normally exist to regulate the functions of mood, thoughts, and motivations.

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Cause and Effect

Cause and Effect In 2007, nearly eight percent of young adults in America did not receive a high school diploma (“What are the dropout rates of high school students? ”). Imagining that two students in the average kindergarten class will not complete high school is heartbreaking. All students have the right to a strong education. Students should be able to rely on schools to provide a healthy atmosphere which will encourage them to stay active in education.

In order for schools to increase the number of students who receive their high school diploma, school should promote safe sex, create stricter policies on drug and alcohol use and teach a more interesting curriculum. By schools teach a more effective safe sex program, more students would choose to stay in school rather than dropping out. Out of these 8 percent of students who take the risky chance of dropping out, an incredible one-third of them were pregnant (Schwartz). It is hard enough on teens growing up by themselves. When you add a baby to the mix, things only get harder.

Unfortunately, many students are unable to handle this responsibility and end up retreating to leave school as their source of help. If schools could step up the awareness of contraception methods, students would be less likely to get pregnant, resulting in a higher graduation rate. Astonishingly, in the survey taken in 2007 “one-fifth of the dropouts were married” (Schwartz). Many students today have a hard enough time dealing with boyfriends and girlfriends. To make the decision of marriage, it takes a great deal of maturity in both ends of the couple.

Sadly, couples who have babies in school can feel forced to marry when they may not truly ant to spend the remainder of their life with their significant other. Stress is incorporated with these life changing choices all because of taking in the responsibility of having a child too early. After having a child, financial obligations become harder to meet. Dropouts may try to find jobs to support their child. This becomes a difficult situation due to the fact the dropout missed out on crucial learning experiences. It is reported that “dropouts earned slightly under $13,000 in average” (Urich).

Students have their whole life ahead of them to find love, have children and work. The school systems are set up so that for the first eighteen years of people’s lives they are able to learn and mature for the future. In the economy today, bosses tend to look for someone with more education. If schools have the capability to change one factor in a teenager’s life such as having safe sex, one student may be able to have a more rewarding life. Schools can enhance their drug and alcohol policies so that students are more likely to complete high school.

In a recent study, researchers found that a popular reason for high school students dropping out was that they “had a drug problem” (Schwartz). Addiction to drugs and alcohol abuser has to pay for the product somewhat. Students may world a lot to feed their cravings for the illegal substance. Ultimately, working causes lots of unneeded stress. But there are some students who are unable to work for one reason or another. There students may have to result to stealing to maintain their ongoing drug addiction. In this case, security becomes an issue that schools should deal with.

According to the same poll, dropouts “didn’t feel safe” (Schwartz). As students are growing up, it is important to remember that they are maturing. Likewise, teenagers are still immature when it comes to some views. The feeling of safety is important to students. Another poll found that “School environments are very influential in the lives of youth. Experiencing a feeling of safety and security in school lowers the risk of an adolescent engaging in violence” (Smith 2). Considering their information, people can see that the way schools run their schools make a difference on the students’ feeling of security.

The safe feeling is important to insure students stay in school. Drugs and alcohol are two easy ways that can eliminate the safe feeling especially when the substances lead to violence. Schools would be able to eliminate many of dropouts by threating punishment upon all drug and alcohol users. It is also crucial for these schools to enforce the harsher policies being set. By making this step against illegal substances, schools will set a standard for all disrupting actions in the way of completing high school.

Implementing a more relatable curriculum to high school student is a measure that needs to be taken in order to keep students from quitting school. A high school student tell a reporter that “I am never going back to that gutter of a school,” referring to his unwillingness to return to school (Lagto). His story dealt with the teachers simply not caring. Students simply get bored of their teachers and schools and decide to cut class. Attendance soon becomes a major problem. It is reported that “One-third [of dropouts] cut class at least 10 times” Schwartz). If schools applied interesting topics to their teachings, attendance would increase, giving the dropout rate a decrease. Not only would attendance increase, but students would be more willing to do better work. The student also goes on to say, “Most of the teachers didn’t teach anything. All they did was put the assignment on the board and expect is to do it. I’m some of my classes, I never did my work” (Lagto). The student admits to not doing his work due to his boredom of the teacher. All students learn differently.

Teachers aren’t paid to just write assignments on the board. Teachers are supposed to cater to all students’ needs of learning. If teachers don’t, students will not be as willing to work hard and they may lose all respect for teachers. “Dropouts reported that parents and guardians were more opposed to their decision than were school personal, with three-quarters indication that their families had tried to talk them out of leaving school” (Schwartz). For teachers not to care as much as parents is disheartening. Teachers are paid to care for students over the course of a year.

Saying that some teachers don’t care if their students’ dropout is impossible to think about. Teaching is their job and passion should be applied to any job that someone has. If the curriculum were to remain the same, students could potentially resort to violence. Boredom is a major cause of school related violence. Of all dropouts, “One-third were put on in-school is to decrease, high school dropouts will remain an ongoing issue on the country. It is crucial for schools to enhance their curriculum so more high school students make the smart decision to get a diploma.

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Female Offenders

Aarron Eilers February 22, 2010 Female Offenders The number of women incarcerated is growing at a rapid pace. This calls for a reevaluation of our correction institutions to deal with women’s involvement in crime. Increasing numbers of arrests for property crime and public order offenses are outpacing that of men. The “War on Drugs” has a big influence on why our prisons have become overcrowded in the last 25 years. Women are impacted more than ever because they are being convicted equally for drug and other offenses. Female criminal behavior has always been identified as minor compared to Male’s criminal behavior.

Over the years women have made up only small part of the offender populations. There is still only a small portion of the inmate population that is female but it is increasing at a high rate. Women are participating in more violent crimes and being convicted of crimes that were historically reserved for men. The Bureau of Justice Statistics which reports a yearend report of number of females incarcerated reported that there were 26,300 females behind bars for violent crimes after the year of 2002. Violent crimes in women prisons accounted for thirty-three percent of the population.

The overall female population also increased 2. 9 percent from 2003 to 2004. People have recently started paying much more attention to women who commit violent crimes. Women most times have a plan and a target when committing a crime like murder. The target is usually someone very close to them such as a spouse or their children. The reasons for committing the murder range from jealously to self defense. The female usually has been a target of violence somewhere in her past as well. Research that has been done shows that a female who commits murder tends to be older than a one who commits a petty crime.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics indicated that most women who commit such a crime as murder did so while they were alone with the victim. Only eight percent of the time was another female or male present during the offense. The Bureau also reports that forty percent of the time the female was under the influence of some type of drug or alcohol. Most women who have spent time in jails or prisons have a lifelong connection with the justice system. Estimates done in the United States show that fifty-eight percent of women are rearrested, thirty percent return to prison within three years, and thirty-eight percent are reconvicted.

In Kruttschnitt and Gartner’s review of the literature they suggest that the demographic plays a major part in a female’s recidivism. Females who have a history of property crime, drug use, and a lengthy criminal history are more likely to recidivate. Deschenes and colleagues study of the cohort recidivism dataset revealed similar findings. They did note that the effect of drug abuse and institutional programs were absent from the report. Some questions have surfaced when looking at the general recidivism literature. Scholars argue that the study of recidivism should have a broader range of study.

It needed to add the whole life perspective not just a short period in the female’s life. Now that women are committing crimes at almost the same rate as men the question arises, should men and women receive the same treatment in the criminal justice system. This issue has sparked debate in the last few years. The current law states that the defendant should not receive any special treatment due to characteristics such as race, gender, or age. These are considered extralegal and should not be considered during the sentencing process.

Gender was ignored until the early 1980’s, but when it was given attention it focused on sex differences and sanctioning instead of questioning the crimes of men and the criminal justice system’s response to men’s crimes. Most research done on sentencing and gender goes as far back as 1934 when Martin concluded that females were no more likely than males to be sentenced to prison terms. One of the most recent studies by Spohn in 2002 stated that the odds of receiving a prison sentence are two and a half times greater for male offenders than for female offenders.

For numerous years, prison officials applied the same type of treatment for men and women. In the last decade with the increasing number of women incarcerated, research shows that women have different physical and emotional needs. For example, women are more attached to their children that they are leaving behind, and some have histories of physical and mental abuse. The creation of two programs, Key Crest and Forever Free were created to help with women specific issues. Recent studies done by National Institute of Justice studies found that participants in these two programs stayed drug and arrest free for over three years.

Participants were tested and interviewed once a year for three years. The studies also showed that the programs provided aftercare and treatment in areas that were not addressed in previous years. Even though both varied in their approach, they both recognized the many ways there were to treat the needs of women and how they differ from men. The studies also show that gender specific programs do help inmates reenter into society. There are many factors that inhibit women to commit violent crimes. Most women suffer from substance abuse, spouse abuse and mental issues.

The most common risk is being previously being abused earlier in life. A survey conducted in 2002 reported that thirty six percent of all female inmates in United States jails had been abused at some point. Twenty-six percent reported that they were abused by someone of their immediate family. Another possible reason for a rise in women’s crime may be due to an idea created by sociologists called “liberation hypothesis”. In this hypothesis due to the lack of access to certain areas in society women in the past were committing crimes such as shoplifting, fraud, and prostitution.

As women start to gain access to more avenues in society they are able to commit more serious crimes. The murder rate, crimes against property, and street crimes have increased significantly. Women used to be just the drug smugglers but now they are the dealers. Dr. Chishom of the Southern Region Violence & Substance Abuse Prevention Center stated that “Quite frankly women became more daring”. Now they compete with men for the same crimes that once were dominated by men. Society also may be a reason for the rise in women’s crime rate.

Society over the last 30 years has changed dramatically and has become more violent. Women feel that they may have to protect themselves more than ever. Dr. Barbara Scott of Northeastern Illinois University suggests that society has an increased acceptance of violence. Violence is portrayed in the media as a way of dealing with frustration and aggression, not only in women but in men as well. Women are no longer scared of doing things that once were deemed unacceptable. They are carrying weapons, being involved in shootings, and committing child abuse.

One trend that is related to women committing crimes is drug dependency. The rising rate of drug dependency has a major impact on women’s crime trends. Women who rely on drugs must have a constant income to acquire these drugs on a routine basis. This is where women tend to be involved in burglaries and robberies to fund their drug habits. Drug use also tends to sink women into the underworld of a criminal subculture. It exposes them to violence and dangerous situations. This is where they meet men that are also connected to drug dependency.

Most men that are drug dependant exploit women to feed their own habits. When studying the career of a violent female criminal research shows substantial gender variations. Most women’s careers start and end much earlier than one of a man. Females are more likely not to repeat violent crimes. Females are also more likely to shy away from any future crimes. Long term involvement as a career criminal by a woman is very rare. Case studies and interviews show a weak commitment to a life of crime. When explaining the female offending process most theories were created by men.

Most theories have been challenged because they were created for men, and people wonder if those theories can be used to explain female crime. Some criminologists argue that traditional theories are male specific and are not designed to explain female crime. Approaches such as the anomie theory and conflict theory suggest that factors such as poverty and inequality underlie much of the basic crime. Consistent between the two approaches, both male and females show that they come from the poor and disadvantaged.

These approaches help explain the gender gap as a consequence of the lesser relevance of success goals compared to men. The social processes such as differential association and labeling theory tend to explain common crime in terms of different opportunities for learning female values and skill sets. These theories would explain the gender gap as a consequence of lower access by females to learning criminal activity. The Control Theory suggests that poor social bonds account for much of the crime. This theory argues that most criminals come from a disproportional and dysfunctional family.

Their education level is very low and they have a weak chain of conformity. The gender gap in this theory is explained through female socialization towards their bonding behavior. The utilization of the traditional theories is supported by evidence that shows that females and men overlap in their causes for committing crimes. For example, male and females alike tend to have poor education, be in low income bracket, and be of the minority status. Second, there is evidence that shows that there is close relation that females and males respond to the same societal forces.

While traditional theories help understand male and female crime levels, they are less accurate at explaining different patterns of crime between the two. Different from male criminals, females are less likely to commit serious crime or lead crime organizations. When linked with males, females tend to be accomplices who help carry out the plan but never are the leader. Females are more likely to commit crime for more traditional reasons such as accomplishment, betterment, and self preservation. Situational pressures such as relationship problems, loss of a loved one, or need for income is a few reasons females turn to offending.

The reentry contextual has been a way of understanding recidivism. The neighborhood a women returns to after being released is a main focus. Most women who are released go back to an impoverished environment which is not suited to keep them clear of crime. Most of these areas do not have the proper treatment centers that are needed to make them successful. The job markets in these neighborhoods are slim and sometimes nonexistent. In turn, moral for a woman who is trying to turn their life around becomes very low. Living conditions are also a key factor. Suitable living arrangements provide social and emotional support.

Mallik-Kane and Visher found that fifty six percent of women released ended up living with family and friends. Most had been given some sort of financial and emotional support. Over one quarter of these women had not received any support from their families. The Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that there are roughly 2. 1 million female violent crime offenders in the United States. Three out of every four women commit crimes on other women. Two thirds of all violent women had some sort of relationship with their victim prior to committing the crime.

Forty percent of these women were under some influence of drugs while carrying out the crime. Over half of these offenses were committed at or near the victim’s house. In 1997, there were 44 known women inmates on death row. This made up about 1. 3 percent of the total on death row inmates. Society itself is always changing and has changed a lot in the last couple of decades. Crime is constant battle here in the United States and around the world. All we can do is hope to contain it and keep it as minimum as possible. As reports have been released and studies have been conducted we can see that the crime rate involving women has increased.

The rate of violent crimes as in women has significantly risen every year since the early 1980’s. At the end of 2001, there were nearly 9 times as many men (5,037,000) in prisons as there were women (581,000). However women are the fastest growing population in American prisons. In 2004, men were ten times more likely to commit violent crimes than women. That statistic is now false as women are committing more crime than ever before. Some argue that the reasoning for this is because of the economy and their social conditions.

The majority of the females arrested for violent crimes came from poverty stricken neighborhoods where there was little chance for advancement. Over half of the females did not have a stable job when they offended. Females are included in more organized crime than they were ever before. This comes from being exposed to the elements to commit crime. Inhibiters such as the media who says it’s Ok to take anger and frustration out through violence or men who use women to be an accomplice in a crime. Females seem to dig themselves deeper into the criminal subculture until they end up serving a ail sentence. Unlike decades ago there are programs to help females through the incarceration process. Key Crest and Forever Free were created to help females’ obtain the correct tools and support they need to return to a normal life. Due to research done after release, it has been shown that these programs due help females stay off drugs and become a positive member of society. Works Cited Doerner, J. K. , 2007-11-14 “An Examination of Sentencing Outcomes in U. S. Federal Courts: Does a Gender Gap Exist?  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia Online . 2010-01-24 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p201202_index. html Drug treatment and reentry for incarcerated women, (2005, Dec). Retrieved February 22, 2010, http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/212776. pdf Hickey, Eric. (2003). Encyclopedia of murder and violent crime. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Why Women Are Committing More Crimes, (2000, July).

Retrieved February 22, 2010, http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_4_98/ai_63291519/pg_2/? tag=content;col1 Women coming home: long-term patterns of recidivism. (2010, April). Justice Quarterly, 225-254. Retrieved February 22, 2010 from http://www. informaworld. com/smpp/section? content=a910861149&fulltext=713240928 Women & Girls in the Criminal Justice System. Retrieved February 22, 2010 from National Criminal Justice Reference Service Web site: http://www. cjrs. gov/spotlight/wgcjs/Summary. html Women in the criminal justice system. (2007, May). Retrieved February 22, 2010,http://www. sentencingproject. org/doc/publications/womenincj_total. pdf Women offenders, (1999, Dec). Retrieved Feb 21, 2010, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/press/wo. pr Zaplin, T Ruth. (2007) Female Offenders: Critical Perspectives and Effective Interventions, Second Edition Sudbury, MA. Jones.

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Substance Abuse: Driving Under the Influence

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 16,694 people died in 2004 in alcohol and drug related traffic collisions, representing 40% of all traffic related deaths in the United States. (“2004 Traffic Safety…” 2005) In addition about half of the one million people injured in road accidents were also due to driving under the influence (DUI). These are startling statistics, which underscore the enormity of the problem posed by the vast number of people who drive while intoxicated.

Another point of concern regarding drunk driving or DUI is that repeat or hardcore offenders are the cause of a large proportion of traffic accidents with one out of eight intoxicated drivers in fatal crashes having had a prior DUI/DWI conviction within the past three years. (Pena, 2005) As a result, a number of programs have sprung up around the country seeking to rehabilitate the repeat DUI offenders through education, counseling, and treatment. The laws against DUI and rehab programs have resulted in a gradual but steady decline in fatalities from drunk driving since the 1980s. In this essay, I shall focus on such programs that seek to address the problem of DUI, particularly programs for the chronic and repeat offenders.

The laws and penalties against driving while intoxicated have been made stricter in the US since the 1970s. The drinking age has also been uniformly raised to 21 years, while it was 18 in several states prior to the 1980s.1 Currently, driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions within the United States.2 The punishment for DUI includes jail terms, monetary fines, mandatory DUI programs, and confiscation of driver’s license for repeated offenders. Some states even treat DUI as a felony under certain circumstances such as the presence of a very high blood alcohol content (BAC), the severity of the accident caused by the drunk driver, or in cases where the driver is a repeat offender. (“Drunk Driving-United States” 2005)

In case of alcohol consumption, most states laws have designated the legal limit of blood alcohol content (BAC) for drunk driving at 0.08 (i.e., 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood). In cases of driving under the influence of prescription medication or illicit drugs there is no “per se” or legal limit. Instead, in cases of driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol, the key factor is whether the driver’s faculties were impaired by the substance that was consumed. Due to this reason, the detection and successful prosecution of drivers impaired by prescription medication or illegal drugs is difficult.

Besides performing a chemical test (blood, urine, or breath analysis) in order to determine the BAC of the offender, a law enforcing officer may also administer a Field Sobriety Test (FST) on a suspect driver. There are certain standardized FSTs such as the “Walk and Turn” test, the “One-leg Stand” and “Horizontal Gaze Test,” which can reliably determine the level of impairment of an intoxicated driver. (Ibid.)

The Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) enacted in 1998 encourages States to enact Repeat Intoxicated Driver laws providing for minimum penalty for repeat offenders such as:

a)Suspension of driver’s license for not less than one year

b)Impoundment, immobilization, or installation of ignition interlock system on vehicles

c)An assessment of the individual’s degree of abuse of alcohol and treatment as appropriate

d)Not less than 30 days community service or 5 days of imprisonment for 2nd offense and not less than 60 days community service or 10 days of imprisonment for 3rd and subsequent offense. (“Minimum Penalties for Repeat offenders” n.d.)

As mentioned in the introduction, there are a number of DUI programs in the United States that seek to control the menace of drunk driving through education, counseling and treatment of the offenders. Some of these programs are described below:

California’s Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Program:

California was among the first states in the US (along with New York) to introduce laws pertaining to drunk driving. It has also introduced an effective DUI Program, which is governed by legislation enacted in 1978. The State has a system in place that determines the need for DUI program services, licenses DUI programs, establishes regulations, approves participant fees and fee schedules, and provides DUI information.

A person convicted of a first DUI offense are required to complete a state-licensed three-month, 30-hour alcohol and drug education and counseling program. Drivers detected with a blood alcohol content of 0.20 or higher must complete a state-licensed sixmonth, 45-hour alcohol and drug education and counseling program. These programs are designed to enable participants to consider attitudes and behavior, support positive lifestyle changes, and reduce or eliminate the use of alcohol and/or drugs. (“An Overview of California’s…” 2004)

Repeat DUI offenders (second and subsequent DUI convictions) must complete an 18-month multiple offender program. Such programs provide 52 hours of group counseling; 12 hours of alcohol and drug education; 6 hours of community reentry monitoring; and biweekly individual interviews during the first 12 months of the program.

A county in California may elect to provide 30-month DUI programs for third and subsequent DUI offenders, which provide longer periods of counselling, education, and community service, i.e., 78 hours of group counseling; 12 hours of alcohol and drug education; 120-300 hours of community service; and close and regular individual interviews. Presently, such services are available in Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties. (“An Overview of California’s…” 2004)

The California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs (“CADDTP”) has been formed to help promote understanding of, and improve the role of the DUI programs in California. Most people agree that California’s DUI program network is “the most inclusive, structured, and complex” and its entire programs are self-supporting through fees paid by participants. They have caused DUI arrests and alcohol-related fatalities to decline steadily in the last two decades when it was introduced. (“California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs” n.d.)

Drug Courts for DUI: An American Council on Alcoholism (ACA) Program:

In collaboration with the National Association for Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD), the American Council on Alcoholism Program (ACAP) seeks to promote and establish courts that focus on alcoholism treatment for drunk driving offenders. This is because ACA believes that the root cause of the drunk driving problem is alcohol abuse and alcoholism and unless we address the root problem of alcoholism, we will not be able to solve the problem of drunk driving. The ACA also believes that traditional means of prevention have had little or no effect on “hard core” drunk drivers or repeat offenders; therefore it is working for the application of the highly successful drug courts model to cure hardcore drunk drivers of their alcoholism.

Drug Court Programs have been found to be highly successful in rehabilitating repeat and hardcore DUI offenders. Recidivism rate in such programs is remarkably low (about 11% v 60% for most other programs). A unique feature of Drug Court is the direct involvement of the judge in the treatment process who remains in direct contact with the defendant and engages in frequent discussion of the progress.

The frequent contact between the judge and the defendant creates a paternal-like relationship between them and the judge is able to give positive reinforcement, issue instant reprimands or order incarceration for up to 30 days as the situation demands. (Kavanaugh, 2003). An example of a successful DUI Drug Court Program is the Butte County Revia Project started in 1996 for repeat drinking drivers. The key to this model of treatment is the use of ReVia (generic name: naltrexone) for weaning the repeat DUI offenders from their alcohol dependence. (“Butt County Revia Project,” 2003)

The Century Council3 created The National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project in 1997 in order to coordinate efforts directed towards deterrence of hardcore drunk drivers who habitually drive while highly intoxicated. The Council’s main aim is to call attention to the serious nature of the crime of drunk driving and to provide the needed framework in order to close loopholes in existing laws and programs, enact needed legislation, and ensure that the responsible agencies and organizations work together effectively to address the problem.

The Council stresses that successful DUI programs for repeat and hardcore offenders should be based on swift identification, certain punishment and effective treatment. It conducts research on DUI and has published a comprehensive source book on the topic, which provides up-to-date data to assist legislators, highway safety officials, law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, community activists, corrections personnel, and treatment professionals in developing programs to reduce hardcore drunk driving. (“National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project” 2003)

There are a number of other organizations in the US as well as many other countries that are engaged in conducting programs for the treatment of chronic and repeat DUI offenders. These include the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)-a support group of alcoholics that seeks to cure alcohol addicts from their addiction through a twelve-step process; the Al-Anon/ Al-Ateen Family Groups–a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems.4 The Al-Anon programs are based on the belief that alcoholism is a family illness, and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Convicted DUI offenders can be sent to jail and fined, particularly in case of repeat offenders. Other alternatives to jail sentence, apart from the DUI Programs for rehabilitation that were discussed in the preceding paragraphs are: Electronic Monitoring (wearing of an ankle bracelet that monitors the whereabouts of the wearer); Work Release-the convicted person works at a place determined by the Probation Department and goes home to sleep; Work Furlough-an arrangement in which the participant keeps his job but returns to a dormitory style facility at night; and City Jail-operated by the local police where the participants spend the night but are released during the day. (“Jail Alternatives” 2005)

Most DUI laws are aimed at deterring driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. One way of deterring DUI offenses is by making policies and laws that change the drivers’ attitude towards DUI and by altering their perceptions of the likely consequences as a result of DUI behavior. (Greenburg et al, 2004). Such anti-DUI laws could be enacted and public information campaigns launched that enhance a driver’s perception of “the certainty, swiftness and severity of prosecution” for drunk-driving offenses, or by increasing awareness of the physical dangers associated with driving while intoxicated (Ibid.)

Some experts believe that the “moral component” of the laws is much more important than the “fear factor” of apprehension and punishment in the long-term control of drunk driving. This is mainly because the likelihood of detection for DUI offenders is very low or uncertain. According to a study quoted by Robin, “On any given outing, an intoxicated driver has less than a 1-in-1000 chance of being apprehended by the police.” (Robin 1991) Tough laws against drunken driving have a moral aspect that gradually develop a culture in a society that is intolerant of DUI regardless of the perceived legal risks to the driver involved. Hence, DUI laws are more likely to achieve their objective of controlling drunk driving if we emphasize the morality of the law rather than expect the hardcore violators to be deterred by the fear of getting caught.

Despite a steady decline in the number of accidents and fatalities due to driving under the influence (DUI) in the US since the 1980s, the numbers are still unacceptably high. It is even more alarming that a large proportion of these accidents are caused by repeat offenders or hard core drinkers. As discussed in this paper, measures taken to control DUI range from stricter punishment to rehabilitation programs aimed at changing the behavior of chronic DUI offenders. Some of these programs have contributed significantly in reducing DUI offenses. However, a sustained, coordinated, and long-term effort is required for further reduction in DUI cases.

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Legalizing Recreational Drugs

A recreational drug is categorized as any substance with pharmacologic effects that is either taken voluntarily for personal pleasure, or for satisfaction rather than for medicinal purposes such as cocaine, marijuana, or ecstasy. These types of drugs are easily found and are used by more than 22 million Americans ages 12 and older; nearly nine percent of the U. S. population. If these types of drugs were to be made legal, a positive change in the economy would be the ultimate outcome.

In 1961, the United Nations implemented an international treaty that limited drug roduction and trafficking. The “war on drugs”, a term that was created by Richard Nixon a decade later, in reference to said treaty, has been going on for over fifty years now. The original objective of the “war on drugs” was to expel all recreational drugs from the country; making all of them illegal. However Just like prohibition in 1920, the establishment of these laws were to save the nation from the problems the substance(s) created.

However, also like the prohibition of 1920, the laws only served o create and support organized crime and has done little to effect the public’s usage of the substance(s). The U. S. currently has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The bulk of those imprisoned are due to drug-related crimes. The illegal drug trade has been introducing children and teens toa life of crime. They notice that the minimum wages they would legally receive from their unskilled labor at the local Burger King, is far from what they could earn buying and selling illegal drugs.

By the time children nd teenagers leave high school, most of these students have committed a criminal act by using recreational drugs. These drugs are used every day and widely available, people see “breaking the law’ as nothing more than playful mischief; therefore, undermining our laws authority. In contrast to the spiraling ineffectiveness of the U. S. government’s original approach to controlling the issue of recreational drugs, other countries like New Zealand and Ireland have taken on a new outlook on the matter.

Instead of outlawing he use of recreational drugs, they have decided to do extensive research on these drugs, in effect making sure that they are safe for the public’s consumption. They are conducting clinical tests to prove that their products are safe; Just like new medicine would be tested in the market. If our government would go along with this new radical movement and legalized recreational drugs, like these other countries, they would no longer have a “war on drugs”. The money spent on inmates in Jails would be greatly reduced since we are not arresting people for drug use.

Police can use the time currently monopolized on getting drugs off the street for other, more pressing crimes. Schools could teach their students about wise drug usage instead of implementing scare tactics. Tactics such as videos and statistics about drug abuse and its consequences that will only tell you to never purchase or use them are simply in effective; that Just leads to ignorant abuse in the future. All legalized drugs can be sold by trust worthy companies instead of fellow schoolmates or sketchy street dealers.

These drugs can be bought legally, by someone of government consented age, in proper packages witn appropriate warning labels; similar to the way that cigarettes and alcohol are. In conclusion, legalizing recreational drugs goes far beyond “right and wrong” if you look at the issue in a practical manner. The problem of illegal recreational drugs has only been increasing with time. The current policies in place are Just not working. A new, radical approach could be the ultimate solution to the U. S. government’s uphill battle. After all, the legalizing has already begun, hasn’t it?

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Problems in Baltimore

Baltimore is a port city that is filled with many popular tourist attractions such as its museums, aquarium, and sports teams. It is also a city that has been on the decline for many years. The crime, drugs, and unemployment levels have all risen over the past two decades. Back in the Baltimore heyday, it was a booming city with high levels of port traffic. Today however, the ports are not seeing as much activity as before and that has led to an increase in unemployment and crime. Could Baltimore be on the same path Camden, NJ was on: booming port overtaken by crime and drugs?

The television series “The Wire”” was based in and on Baltimore. Created and written by a former journalist for the The Baltimore Sun, David Simon, each season focuses on a different facet of the city: the illegal drug trade, the sea port system, the city government and bureaucracy, the school system, and the print news media. The show tried to create a realistic vision of an American city through truthful characters. There are good cops portrayed in the show, however many of the officers are incompetent, show excessive force, and are portrayed as having human qualities.

Some residents and city officials credit the series for increased scrutiny by the media on its government, education system, drug problem, and crime. It did shed light on the illicit drug use in the city and its effects on the lower class’s ability to grow in the fields of education and organization. In 2011, the U. S. Census Bureau reported that Baltimore County, MD had a population consisting of 65. 4% white and 26. 8% black/African American residents. The median household income in Baltimore County is $63,959.

Broken down further, minority median income is $31,400 versus $57,048 for white/caucasian residents. Across the country, taxes and costs of goods and services is on the rise. It is very difficult for a family of four to live on $31,000 a year without public housing assistance and welfare programs. The poverty statistics are very interesting. According to the census data, 28% of Baltimore families with children under the age of 18 are living below the poverty level. That number increases to 40. % for female-headed families with no father present.

The blame for poverty is an age-old question which usually produces the same answers: high taxes, barriers to occupational entry, and other economic factors. When you factor choice into the equation, the numbers change significantly. The poverty rate diminishes greatly for households that choose to marry and have children later in life, obtain a higher education, and stay of out jail. The poverty rate for married households with children under the age of 18 is 7. 4%.

The answer seems simple: obtain higher education and marry later in life. Cecelia Elena Rouse, an economist and Dean of the Woodrow WilsonSchool of Public and International affairs at Princeton University, conducted focus groups in Baltimore City, MD. She was looking at income expectations to determine if there was a correlation between expected income and college attendance. The sample consisted of low-income minority high school seniors. She found that income expectations of low-income minority students are not so different from higher-income students.

Low-income students are less able to turn their college plans into college attendance (Rouse 1314). The Maryland State Department of Education has reported that starting in 2007, city schools were beginning to show progress in its school reform effort; graduation rates were rising while dropout rates were decreasing. While progress has been made, more work and focus needs to be done in the Baltimore education system. The non-attendance rate has been recognized as a problem among low income students. Poor students are four times more likely to be chronically absent than their peers.

Problems standing in the way of good school attendance include inadequate transportation, unstable housing, lack of health care, high incidence of chronic illness, and poor nutrition and safety concerns (Chang 7). Baltimore is one of three cities that have attempted to address the issue of absenteeism. The school districts and the community have partnered in building a culture of attendance. Strategic grants and investments have helped to make this possible. Franklin Square Elementary and Middle School is a successful model in Baltimore.

Approximately 91% of its students receive free or reduced cost lunches and the class sizes are large, often 40 or more students in a class. Despite that, the school has one of the highest attendance rates in the city. There is an outreach program that holds students accountable and creates an environment of wanting to go to school. The school provides clean uniforms, dental care, after school activities, and free haircuts to help boost attendance (Chang 9). The question that needs to be answered is can the high school culture in Baltimore continue to cultivate this safe, nurturing environment such as the one created at the Franklin School.

Upper elementary and high school students offer new problems that need to be addressed; teen pregnancy, drug use, and gangs being three that stand out the most. In the early 1990’s, a study was completed in Baltimore that focused on teen mothers. It started in the late 1960’s and followed two hundred fifty teenage mothers who gave birth during that time. In 1988, the first born of the teenage mothers were in their teen years and the sample statistics showed 37% had dropped out of school, 46% had completed high school, and 17% went on to higher education.

This study concluded there was a direct correlation to the number of years the father was present, high maternal education aspirations, few years on welfare, high preschool cognitive ability, attendance in preschool, and no grade failure in elementary school and continued education beyond high school (Brooks-Gunn 278). In its fourth season, “The Wire”” focused on the education system in Baltimore. A first year middle school math teacher, who was a former police detective, struggles to connect with his students. Many of these students were schooled in drug dealing and gang activities.

He came to the realization that in order to get them to learn, he had to trick them into learning. The fourth season of “The Wire ” focused on the social conditions that cripple the Baltimore education system: fragmented families, declining neighborhoods with few legitimate jobs, indifferent city leaders, and a lack of educational resources. Even the students who want to learn face enormous obstacles, one of the biggest being the Baltimore education system compared to others in the country, is far behind. “The Wire ” portrayed the problems plaguing the students and teachers.

It is a pattern that will continue to be repeated generation after generation until the city, state, and federal governments make a commitment to rebuild it. According to the FBI crime statistics released in 2011, Baltimore is the fifth deadliest city in the country and the seventh most dangerous in overall violent crime despite its lowest homicide rate since the 1980’s. It has taken decades of poverty, disinvestment in the community, and a general sense of hopelessness for Baltimore to become known as such a violent city.

Arresting and prosecuting criminals is a crucial step in combating crime, however reinvestment into the community by federal, state, and local governments is also needed to turn the city into a safe, prosperous environment. There is a long-standing theory that suggests that teens are more likely to use heroin, crack, and/or cocaine if they have first used alcohol or marijuana, the latter which is preceded by alcohol and tobacco. In a study that was conducted in Baltimore, the median age for first drug use (alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana) was 14 years of ago and first heroin, crack, and cocaine use was 17 years of age (Curry 441).

Parental drug use was a determining factor in predicting childhood drug users and also peer influence (Curry 442). There needs to be continued focus on educating and rehabilitating the young drug users before they begin exploring with injection drug use. The Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance was launched in 2002 to establish a way of understanding the changing neighborhoods and quality of life within the city. Forty outcome indicators were developed in order to measure progress and to hold the city leadership accountable (Bembry 97).

A study was conducted comparing five US cities, Baltimore being one of them, and the effects of federal spending on the cities over time. Two “health checks ” were taken, six years apart and looked at hardship factors: poverty, unemployment, dependency, housing built before 1939, percentage without a high school diploma, and the crime rate (Parker 1844). In each city, there was significant progress over the p of six years which show that federal spending, or any spending at the federal, state, and/or local levels, can help revitalize the community.

In tough economic times, there is more need for government funds to help the community as unemployment rates are high. High unemployment creates desperation which spurs crime. According to the Census Bureau, in 2011 one in four Baltimore residents lives in poverty leaving more than 37% of Baltimore’s children live in poverty. Being born into poverty is a good marker for being poor throughout life and creates an entire host of problems: high school dropouts, high crime rates, high poverty rates.

Similar to various historical periods in history, being born into poverty creates a high predisposition for remaining in poverty. Federal, state, and local programs have created positive change and effects in cities like Baltimore where crime and poverty are some of the highest in the country. However during difficult economic times, government spending is difficult to procure and if it is being spent incorrectly or ineffectually it is not reaching as many people as it could. Rebuilding a city that has been mired in poverty is a difficult task with high costs.

History shows us that initiating change while children are young and reinforcing that change can foster growth within a community. In Baltimore, urban planners are striving to rebuild communities with a mix of lower and middle income families. They feel this will improve the chances of residents maintaining their homes, patronizing local business, going on to post high school education, and keeping their neighborhoods safe. Despite ominous statistics, Baltimore has shown some improvement through programs implemented by the government. A dedication by leaders and the community will be key in the rebuilding of Baltimore.

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