Section 1 (Introduction)
My topic of choice is drug trafficking and drug incarceration, and I will go into detail and explain on why drug trafficking is a problem and society. Drug trafficking has been an ongoing problem in society and the other crimes in which it can create around it in its environment. Drug trafficking is a major problem in society because it effects the global economy and global trade while it also spreads negativity, devious behavior, and is an open window for other crimes to occur. Drug trafficking is a famous insure in many different countries especially in the South American Countries and any areas with low poverty communities. There are several questions that arise about the topic of drug trafficking being a major problem in society. Like in what ways does drug trafficking have a negative impact on society? Why are these drugs being bought, transported, and abused for? Who runs drug trafficking organizations? What specifically are drug laws and what are the statistics of drug incarceration? How much does drug trafficking effect the global economy and global trade? These are all questions I will use to my advantage to help me with my research to gain useful information for this crime research report.
The urban minority is one of the main targets along with African American and Hispanic young adolescents that live in lower poverty areas in society. A survey from Bonita Stanton and Jennifer Galbraith’s drug trafficking article survey shows that youth African American males form the ages of 9 to 15 are more likely to engage in drug trafficking activity than youth African American girls aging from 9 to 15. The rate of African American youth getting charged and incarcerated with drug trafficking has been steadily increasing over the years. These youth are controlled or operate under higher authority in the drug tracking organizations known as “Kingpins”.
Section 2 (Current Example)
A current example of drug trafficking can be the president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez being “extradited” to the United States because of a drug Trafficking charge. As from NBC news (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/former-president-honduras-extradited-us-drug-trafficking-charges-rcna25468) on April 21, 2022, he was extradited to the United States back in February. NBC news states he was transporting enormous amounts of cocaine to the United States, therefore breaking drug laws and policy in the United States. The charges reveal that Hernandez received millions of dollars for protecting drug traffickers and not justifying their actions, which causes and instability in the global economy for such valuably objects worth large sums of money being handled and not being held accountable for.
Note how the news articles use the word “extradited: meaning to hand over someone or something in the presence of a crime being committed. A quote from the NBC news article says “we allege that Hernandez worked closely with other public officials to protect cocaine shipments for the United States. Because of these alleged crimes, communities in the United States suffered, and the people of Honduras suffered.” The actions of Hernandez in tolerating the transportation of cocaine to the United States affecting society in the United States and Honduras sheds light on how drug trafficking negatively impacts not only the global economy but also the communities. Journalists in the NBC news article also use the word “bribe” in the article as he was bribed by the most “notorious” drug traffickers in the world. The word bribe also being associated with negativity and crime meaning to persuade someone to act in a certain was typically leading to and illegal crime or acting in some form of deviancy. “Notorious” being another word used which mean being well known usually for bad reasoning. The words used by journalist in these news articles are typical words that you would see in articles or papers containing someone committing crime or dealing with arrests and incarceration.
Section 3 (Review of Lit)
Some statistics I have found from Bonita Stanton and Jennifer Galbraith’s drug trafficking article on early African American adolescences is the ratio and relation between drug sales and drug use/abuse. The chart shows the years from 1988 to 1991 on the x axis and the estimated number of youths arrested for drug trafficking charges on the y axis of the graph. The chart shows the increase of drug use between the years of 1988 and 1989 and then a steady decline after the year 1989 leading into the year 1990 and a slight increase heading toward 1991. For drug sales the chart shows a steady increase throughout all 4 years with a heavy increase between the years 1990 and 1991. This chart shows moving toward more recent years there has been a shift in drug trafficking arrests where people have been arrested for selling drugs for profit and making money from them rather than using or abusing the drugs themselves.
From Susan Leviton, Marc A. Schindler, and Renee S. Orleans’s “African American Youth: Drug Trafficking and Justice system, there are certain ways states and state institutions deal with juvenile drug trafficking. It is stated that “by the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, the decision of whether to charge a youth with drug trafficking versus the less severe charge of drug possession is a highly subjective process which has significant consequences in how the youth is ultimately treated within the justice system. A report also noted in the text states “being labelled a seller as opposed to a user often determines whether the youth is held in detention, dealt with by juvenile justice agencies, prosecuted as an adult, or released to his/her family. These quotes from the text Meaning that the choice of the justice system can change the future of the youth’s path. There appear to be many options for the issued to be addressed in the criminal justice system.
A case study that could be used as an example is the case with Vietnam’s border with Laos. Drug trafficking has become a rising issue in southern Asia and Vietnam is having struggles and facing challenges with complex drug trafficking. The border that separates Vietnam and Laos is approximately 2340 km which is a lot of ground to cover and ensure there are no drugs being smuggled across. To address this issue, the National Border Committee made both entrances to the border more complicated so little to no motorized vehicles can operate while crossing and undergo an inspection of the vehicle.
There are Common themes and finding that are include in the collection of reviewed literature. Common things found are groups sizes of the drug trafficking organizations and the sizes of the packages and shipments they sent out and transport. Another common technique used by the justice system in drug trafficking is placing undercover agents or “actors” in the playing field to network with organizations that use and sell drugs.
Section 4 (Crime Theory)
Sociology can be an academic discipline involved with the problem of drug trafficking. Sociology goes into the social cause with a human’s behavior and the consequences that come behind a human’s actions when they commit crimes and have certain behavior traits. Psychology can also be an academic discipline involved with the problem of drug trafficking because psychology goes into the mind and critical thinking of a criminal and includes their personal traits and personalities. And one should expect to understand the problem as it being a negative impact to society. Someone could also understand that people may commit crimes of drug trafficking and other crimes that could arise in its environment because of when and where they were raised and the impact their parents and surroundings have on their lives that could alter personal traits and behaviors.
An academic theory that can be prominent with this kind of research could be rational choice. This is because drug trafficking offenders are making rational choices and weighing the options of the benefits and costs of the actions about which they are thinking. An example can be wanting to sell 100 pounds of cocaine for 500 million dollars, but the cost of that choice could be some heavy time in prison. Another theory that can be prominent with this kind of research could be the “open window theory” where drug trafficking has a negative environment where other crimes such as human trafficking, assault, and even murder can occur while that crime is taking place.
Section 5 (CJ Policy and Implications)
There are a several institutions that exists for drug trafficking offenders. For the youth they have juvenile detention, or they have special programs for the youth to attend and stay at for certain amounts of time to improve their behavior. For adult offenders there are prisons and adult special programs that they can be sentenced to for rehabilitation alongside their prison sentence. These institutions are implemented and evaluated based on what the offender is charged with and how severe the charge is.
Section 6 (Review/Report Summary)
To end off this crime research report, drug trafficking is a rising issue in not only the United States but across the globe. There are news articles that show and provide examples with drug trafficking and give off certain language and use of words when reporting criminal activity.
Next, we have the review of literature. Included in this section is the implication of policies and statistics for drug trafficking including the stats of drug sales and drug use. There is also a case study with drug trafficking becoming a problem at the Vietnam and Laos border and how they assess the situation and address the issue. Common finding is also explained with common thing that are found within the different situations that include drug trafficking.
Moving into section 4 with crime theory. This section goes into detail with how someone can understand drug trafficking from an outside view. This section also provides a view and explanation of academic disciplines and academic theories that are associated with drug trafficking.
Section 5 providing information with criminal justice policies and implications. This section goes into addressing the problem and the incarceration of drug trafficking offenders. The different institutions and consequences that are provided based on what the offender is charged with and how that is decided withing the justice system is also explained in this section.
Reference Section
Stanton, B., & Galbraith, J. (1994). Drug trafficking among African American early adolescents: Prevalence, consequences, and associated behaviors and beliefs. Pediatrics, 93(6), 1039-1043.
Leviton, S., Schindler, M. A., & Orleans, R. S. (1994). African American youth: Drug trafficking and the justice system. Pediatrics, 93(6), 1078-1084.
Luong, H. T. (2020). The organizational structure of transnational narcotics trafficking groups in Southeast Asia: a case study of Vietnam’s border with Laos. Trends in Organized Crime, 23(4), 385-411.