Introduction
Crimes are omnipresent and are part of how contemporary society functions. Despite many advancements in technology and economics, the presence of felonies and misdemeanors has not vanished. Crimes exist because of various social issues, and by addressing these societal problems, such as drug use and gender inequality, criminal justice professionals may decrease overall crime rates. This paper will explore drug use, recidivism, and domestic violence as critical issues that criminal justice specialists are facing.
Drug Use and the Role of Gender
Substance abuse is one of the most significant challenges of contemporary society. It is ubiquitous, and persons of all ages engage in this unfavorable activity. Despite being illegal, drug trafficking and distribution are not declining. The profitability of the business has led many individuals to commit crimes. The majority of people test positive for drugs when they are taken into custody, which suggests that substance use contributes to crime rates (Buccelli et al., 2016). Criminal justice professionals are faced with a dilemma – on the one hand, legalizing drugs would decrease its profitability and attractiveness for aspiring outlaws. On the other hand, legalization will imminently increase the availability of drugs, thus contributing to consumption rates. It is not possible to predict how crime rates would react to such changes in legislation. The challenge is exacerbated by the lack of knowledge about the role of gender in this context. Researchers suggest that interventions designed for male drug users may not be suitable for female criminals (Buccelli et al., 2016). Therefore, criminal justice professionals should engage in sophisticated research in order to devise an appropriate solution.
Recidivism
Most crimes are committed by individuals that previously faced criminal charges. Repeating a crime after receiving punishment is called recidivism, and it is of significant concern for criminal justice professionals (Spruit et al., 2017). To address the challenge, most states have adopted the Three-strikes law, which ensures that a person who commits three serious crimes serves a life sentence. The efficacy of this law, however, is under question because the legislation does not take the age factor into account. Researchers have established that inclination toward recidivism declines over time (Spruit et al., 2017). Moreover, risk factors that predict recidivism differ significantly among various age groups (Spruit et al., 2017). Criminal justice professionals need to consider current scientific evidence and revise the Three-strikes law. At its current state, it should not be used as a common framework for battling recidivism.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence rates have been increasing steadily for many years. Today, 25% of women have experienced some abuse from their intimate partners (National statistics, 2020). The absence of a decline in this percentage suggests that the criminal justice system has not been effective in addressing this issue. Professionals need to develop new response mechanisms to decrease domestic violence rates nationally. To accomplish this task, criminal justice workers need to have a holistic picture of the issue, need to understand why such acts of abuse occur, and how they can be prevented.
Conclusion
The criminal justice system has failed to decrease crime rates due to the lack of knowledge in relevant scientific areas. For instance, there is not enough information to make a decision in regards to drug legalization with the aim of decreasing drug-associated crimes. Moreover, the current Three-strikes law does not take many age-related intricacies of human behavior into account. Domestic violence continues to increase because no appropriate response strategies exist today.
References
Buccelli, C., Della Casa, E., Paternoster, M., Niola, M., & Pieri, M. (2016). Gender differences in drug abuse in the forensic toxicological approach. Forensic Science International, 265, 89-95. Web.
National statistics. (2020). National Coalition against Domestic Violence. Web.
Spruit, A., van der Put, C., Gubbels, J., & Bindels, A. (2017). Age differences in the severity, impact and relative importance of dynamic risk factors for recidivism. Journal of Criminal Justice, 50, 69-77. Web.