Criminal Justice Populations

Criminal activity and drug abuse are inextricably linked. Criminal drug offenses, as outlined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, can occur in many ways. These include (a) possession of an illicit drug, (b) sales of an illicit drug, (c) offenses committed owing to drug use or abuse such as theft to obtain money to purchase drugs, and (d) offenses related to illegal activities such as having an association or ties with an illicit drug market. Regardless of how an offense (or offenses) occurs, the criminal justice system is overwhelmed by the ever-growing numbers of inmates, and in particular, those inmates who are imprisoned for crimes related to drug offenses.