Restrictive deterrence: Avoiding arrest in rural methamphetamine markets

A component of restrictive deterrence, arrest avoidance is the notion that offenders employ specific strategies to evade detection. Although research focuses on the tactics drug dealers use to avoid law enforcement detection in crack, heroin, and marijuana markets in urban locations, no studies explore these techniques in rural settings or methamphetamine markets. Based on interviews with 52 men and women involved in methamphetamine markets, this article explores the arrest avoidance strategies used during ingredient acquisition, manufacturing, and distribution of methamphetamine. This study also expands the restrictive deterrence literature by asking each participant if they experienced a methamphetamine related arrest and how their arrest avoidance strategies related to their arrests. When participants were arrested, they revealed that they were sometimes not using any strategies or that some unique situation (i.e. getting set up by a friend) was the reason for their arrest rather than ineffective avoidance tactics.

Restrictive Deterrence in Drug Offenses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Mixed Studies

Deterrence by punishment aims to prevent a crime; however, it is not always successful. Restrictive deterrence explains the continuous criminal activities that occur despite deterrence; offenders enact various strategies to avoid detection, which is more typical among drug offenders given that they have a high frequency of offending and exposure to punishment. This systematic review provides an in-depth understanding of restrictive deterrence of drug offenders. Two prominent themes, “restrictive deterrence strategy” and “deterrability and restrictive deterrence,” depict drug offenders' restrictive deterrence and effectively fit within the certainty–severity framework of punishment. Future studies should investigate restrictive deterrence strategies in the after-arrest context, the facilitative effect of perception of risk on strategy development, and facilitators or inhibitors affecting the diffusion of restrictive deterrence strategies.

Harm Reduction Strategies and Disinhibitors Among Women Who Use Heroin

People who use illicit drugs face significant physical risks in the acquisition, use, and aftermath of their use. This is particularly the case among those who use heroin in view of recent spikes in heroin-associated overdoses, injuries, and deaths. Using a restrictive deterrence framework, we identify the risks that women associate with chronic heroin use and the ways they seek to manage those risks. We also examine psychological and physiological disinhibitors that contribute to women reducing use of risk reduction strategies. We find from the narratives that nearly all of the women initially engaged in specific strategies to manage risk; however, as they continued using the drug, they began to abandon even the simplest of measures. Our findings shed light on the limitations of harm reduction strategies and inform the theoretical tradition of restrictive deterrence and the importance of disinhibitors.

Exploring the Factors Associated With Rejection From a Closed Cybercrime Community

Research examining the illicit online market for cybercrime services operating via web forums, such as malicious software, personal information, and hacking tools, has greatly improved our understanding of the practices of buyers and sellers, and the social forces that structure actor behavior. The majority of these studies are based on open markets, which can be accessed by anyone with minimal barriers to entry. There are, however, closed communities operating online that are thought to operate with greater trust and reliability between participants, as they must be vetted and approved by existing community members. The decision to allow individuals to join a forum may reflect restrictive deterrence practices on the part of existing members, as those applicants may threaten the security or operations of the group. This study utilized a quantitative analysis to understand the factors associated with rejection for individuals who sought membership in the organized and sophisticated closed forum run by and for cybercriminals called Darkode. The findings demonstrated that individuals whose perceived engagement with the hacker community and cybercrime marketplace were considered too risky for membership. The implications of this study for our understanding of restrictive deterrence theory, as well as criminal market operations on and offline were explored in depth.