Illness or Deviance?: Drug Courts, Drug Treatment, and the Ambiguity of Addiction
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.80 (699 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B071R4RRHB |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 374 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-01-12 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Illness or Deviance? highlights the confusion and contradictions about labeling addiction. Murphy's fieldwork in a drug court and an outpatient drug treatment facility yields fascinating insights, such as how courts and treatment centers both enforce the "disease" label of addiction, yet their management tactics overlap treatment with "therapeutic punishment". The "addict" label is a result not just of using drugs, but also of being a part of the drug lifestyle, by selling drugs. In addition, Murphy observes that drug courts and treatment facilities benefit economically from their cooperation, creating a very powerful institutional arrangement. Murphy contextualizes her findings within theories of medical sociology as well as criminology to identify the policy implications of a medicalized view of addiction.. Is drug addiction a disease that can be treated, or is it a crime that should be punished? In her probing study, Illness or Deviance?, Jennifer Murphy investigates the various perspectives on addiction, and how society has myriad ways of handling it - in
An Invaluable Resource for Drug Policy Reform Bad Apple This book will prove invaluable in the future of US drug policy. As a person in long-term recovery and who lost a dear friend to drug overdose while he was in drug court, Jennifer Murphy's book was deeply emotional. As a drug policy reform and harm reduction advocate, this book provides a wealth of resources I'll use in my work for years to come. A must read for anyone interested in the future of drug policy, treatment, and recovery in the US.. Useful and thought-provoking study Paul E. Kahan "Illness or Deviance" probes the disconnect between Americans' view of drug addiction as a disease and the punitive methods used to "treat" it. Based on the author's observations of a big-city court system and two allied treatment facilities, Murphy shows that while court and rehabilitation facility staff talk about drug addiction as a "disease," what this actually means is quite hazy. Highly recommended for anyone interested in understanding America's contradictory and self-defeating drug policies.Paul KahanAuthor of "Eastern State Penitentiary: A History"