Methamphetamine, cocaine, and other psychostimulant offenses in federal courts, 2022

• In Event: BJS Federal Justice Statistics

Abstract

This paper uses data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) to describe persons arrested, convicted, and sentenced for federal offenses involving methamphetamine, cocaine, and other psychostimulants. Most psychostimulants can be misused and are considered addictive. According to the Center for Disease Control, rates of overdose deaths from psychostimulants have been increasing since 2010 and in 2021, nearly 33,000 persons died from an overdose involving psychostimulants. Psychostimulants provide a unique challenge to law enforcement as they can be diverted from legitimate channels and clandestinely manufactured. This presentation describes trends in key indicators of the federal justice response to psychostimulants by federal judicial district and drug schedule and law enforcement initiatives. Steps to improve the collection of federal justice data on psychostimulants are discussed.

Author

• Mark Motivans, Bureau of Justice Statistics, US DOJ