Abstract
Increased concern about the spread of the use & sale of smokable cocaine ("crack") & its effects on crime & public order has prompted the criminal justice system to place an unprecedented emphasis on apprehending street drug dealers & users, overwhelming the courts & jails of many urban jurisdictions. Public belief that crack is a particularly dangerous & addictive drug, together with the growth of an unregulated street drug market, media accounts of crack-related violence, & the lack of treatment facilities, have placed pressure on the system to process crack arrests differently from those involving other drugs. Here, the response of the New York City criminal justice system to the early stage of the crack epidemic is explored, based on analyses of the 3,403 crack arrests that occurred between Aug & Oct 1986, including the characteristics of defendants, charges, case dispositions, & sentences. Results suggest that crack cases had a higher probability of pretrial detention, felony indictment, & jail sentence. Logit analyses of lower court disposition & bail decisions indicate that being charged with a crack-related offense was a relatively strong determinant of these decisions as compared to more traditional factors, eg, prior criminal record. 6 Tables, 35 References. Adapted from the source document.