The Incarceration Addiction: A Toxic, Symbiotic Relationship and an Ethical Response

Abstract

This paper examines the interlocking factors in the toxic, symbiotic relationship between addiction and incarceration. It begins by discussing the “War on Drugs” that heralded the globally unprecedented swelling of the U.S. prison population, which increased to more than two million individuals behind bars in 2017. The paper then describes the biological components of addiction, which have been distorted and minimized by stigma and thus fail to inform policy. The paper evaluates how the connection between addiction and incarceration stumbles short of the moral and practical objectives of the criminal justice system. Finally, this paper demands the preservation of the human rights of individuals experiencing addiction, who should not be inequitably incarcerated. It proposes several policy recommendations to ensure that the vulnerable population of individuals experiencing addiction are held accountable for their actions in a manner that respects their central capabilities. [From Introduction]