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Chapter 7 writing assignment

The assignment will consist of you watching the video and applying one or more of the criminology theories that were presented in the textbook. The theories presented in the text are in their most rudimentary form. I believe the most applicable are Merton’s Strain Theory and Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory (If you wish to apply the other theories feel free to do so). This exercise will help you understand how the theories are used to understand crime from an intellectual viewpoint and to help prevent future criminal activity.

You will need to make a compelling argument as to whether or not you believe that a crime was committed by the pharmaceutical company, its corporate officers, or both. Note: under legal theory a corporation is viewed the same way as an individual is viewed under the law. That said, for violation to occur, an individual must perform the act and have intent to commit the crime. You will need to identify what type of crime was committed and what you think the consequences should be.

Do you think that the litigation resulted in a just sanction? If you do think it is a just sanction, please explain why you believe this is the case. If you think more should be done concerning this situation, please articulate what you think should happen and why.

This writing assignment will involve you in applying some of the information that you learned in the previous chapters that we covered in this course. I am providing some to the high points that I think can help you complete this assignment, the points listed are not all inclusive and you should feel free to add information that you think is important.

Chapter 1 :

Government effectiveness, how a social movement progresses, information on how pharmaceutical companies operate and their goals, and finally the power of social institutions

Chapter 2:

The distribution of healthcare in our society as well as the more powerful in a society controls different aspects of the less powerful members lives.

Chapter 8

The various definitions of a drug over time as well as if the drug is viewed as harmful or helpful to the operation of society, how the criminal justice system (the huge increase in arrests and prosecutions, as well as asset forfeiture laws) is used to control drugs and drug users that are viewed as harmful to society. And finally, the increase in the number of deaths related to opioid use.

Here are three links to material that I want you to use to analyze the social problem of addiction and the criminal justice system.

Video to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGcKURD_osM

With over 200,000 deaths caused by Opioids, it's important to look at how this tragedy took place and who's behind it. In this video we look at the Sackler family, the family that has caused untold damage to the lives of millions for their role in the opioid crisis through their company Purdue Pharma.

Department of Justice press release:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-global-resolution-criminal-and-civil-investigations-opioid

Justice Department Announces Global Resolution of Criminal and Civil Investigations with Opioid Manufacturer Purdue Pharma and Civil Settlement with Members of the Sackler Family

News article:

I have also included a summary news story from VOX.com Titled Purdue Pharma admits to crimes for its OxyContin marketing. But no one is going to prison.

https://www.vox.com/2020/10/21/21526868/purdue-pharma-oxycontin-opioid-epidemic-department-of-justice

The video and readings that I have assigned provide some insights to how this social problem progressed unabated for over at least two decades. I have followed this topic for almost twenty years and have witnessed two tragedies on a personal level as well as many arrests and prosecutions on a professional level. The video and readings will provide you with short but accurate history of this problem that has cost our society billions of dollars in damage, destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives, and killed hundreds of thousands of people many of which “ just went to the doctor”.

( You have to read a news article, watch a video, and be familiar with sociological criminal theories to do this paper) There is no page limit but you have to answer al of the questions).