CRJ 331 Case Study 4: Robert Downey Jr.

In 2001, Robert Downey Jr., was arrested and sent to drug rehabilitation and put on a three-year probation after pleading “no contest” to drug possession charges. Through this case study, you will explore the role that an offender’s psychological tendencies play when facing the justice system.

Review the case study titled “Robert Downey Jr.” in Chapter 10, pages 269 and 270 of the text, as well as the following related articles:

• Case Study: Chapter 10, pages 269 and 270 of text
• “We can’t afford to ignore drug addiction in prison”, located at http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/08/14/we-cant-afford-to-ignore-drug-addiction-in-prison/
• “Will Robert Downey Jr.’s Case Spark a Change in Drug Sentencing?”, located at http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,98373,00.html

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

1. Support or refute the position that “addiction is a ’personal choice’.” Next, review the Robert Downey Jr. case study in the text and identify two (2) problems that resulted from his drug use.
2. Per the text, addicts who are incarcerated often also suffer from employment problems, family problems, and self-destructive behaviors resulting from their addiction. Determine whether the criminal justice system as it stands today is equipped to deliver adequate help to offenders with the aforementioned problems. Provide a rationale for your response.
3. Determine the role that you believe the corrections system has played in determining if addiction is an illness, disorder, or disease. Provide a rationale to support your response.
4. As drug addiction and mental illness receive more exposure, discuss the likelihood of the criminal justice system moving away from mandatory minimum drug sentences and towards the use of alternative offender treatment programs to effectuate a lasting recovery from serious addiction. Recommend one (1) type of alternate offender treatment program that you believe may be effective in helping addicts in the criminal justice system recover. Provide a rationale for your response.
5. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar type Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.