“You can’t incarcerate yourself out of the drug problem in America:” A qualitative examination of Colorado’s 2022 Fentanyl criminalization law
All participants supported policy efforts to prevent fatal fentanyl overdoses, yet, most thought that increased use of police and incarceration as avenues to prevent overdose was misguided. This study highlights a diverse array of community perspectives that can inform policy decisions concerning criminal penalties for fentanyl possession and distribution and can inform policies that affect people who use drugs broadly.
Authors
- Joshua A. Barocas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4155-4697)
- Katherine LeMasters
- Ingrid A. Binswanger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8862-8078)
- Cole Jurecka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1770-3717)
- Samantha K. Nall
- Paul J. Christine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1707-0761)
- Betsy Craft
Institutions
- Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center (US)
- Denver Health Medical Center (US)
- Center For Policy Research (US)
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (US)
- University of Colorado Denver (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Health & Justice
- Published
- 2025-04-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-025-00334-8
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 12.60
Funders
- Colorado Department of Human Services
- National Institute on Drug Abuse