Federal Policy on Criminal Offenders Who Have Substance Use Disorders: How Can We Maximize Public Health and Public Safety?

ABSTRACT

The Obama Administration is striving to promote both public health and public safety by improving the public policy response to criminal offenders who have substance use disorders. This includes supporting drug courts, evidence-based probation and parole programs, addiction treatment and re-entry programs. Scientists and clinicians in the addiction field have a critical role to play in this much-needed effort to break the cycle of addiction, crime and incarceration.

KEYWORDS:

• Drug policy
• addiction
• crime
• incarceration
• opiate addiction

Acknowledgments

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