Drugs Winning the Drug War — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Drugs Winning the Drug War

Name: Alexandria Chapman-White
Major: Criminal Justice
Hometown: Waukegan Il
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project

Name: Keely Purol
Major: Criminal Justice/Psychology
Hometown: Grayslake Il
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project

Abstract

Since the 1980s, Americans have been waging a war against drugs. While this war was declared with honorable intentions, the assault on American society actually led to higher rates of drug crime than it has prevented; between 1980 and 1989, drug related arrests increased by 89% (Snyder, 2011). Between 1990 and 1994 the arrest rate increased by approximately 124% (Bureau of Justice Statistics). This trend is seen most dramatically in states with three-strikes type laws, like Wisconsin. The first three-strikes laws were adopted in 1993 by the state of Washington; by 1995, 27 other states embraced the policy.

We plan to analyze the impact the War on Drugs has had on drug-related arrests in Kenosha and Racine since 1994 when Wisconsin officially adopted three-strikes laws. The Federal Bureau of Investigations reports more than 1.53 million American citizens were arrested on drug charges in 2011 (Uniform Crime Report). Likening the Kenosha and Racine counties to the national trend, we expect to see an increase in drug use and arrests as well as a decrease in other non-drug related crimes in the State of Wisconsin. Comparing data collected from drug and police agencies in Wisconsin, starting in the 1990s and moving to the present, we will demonstrate the negative impacts and unanticipated casualties the war on drugs has produced in the Kenosha and Racine communities.

Poster file