Principal Investigator: T. Howard Stone, The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler

Hastings Center Collaborator:Karen J. Maschke

Funder: National Institute of Drug Abuse

Purpose

To examine and elucidate the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic information about drug addiction and the use of this information in the criminal justice system.

Key Issues

Scientists are just beginning to learn how genes affect a person’s risk of drug addiction and abuse. This information is of interest to drug court judges, correctional officials, and others in the criminal justice system. But the use of this information raises many questions: What is the potential for misinterpretation or misuse? To what extent should genetic information help determine which criminal offenders to test for drug use and to subject to drug treatment? Who should have access to this information? What legal protections exist to safeguard individual privacy and help assure that the information is used responsibly?

Intended Products

Focus groups and a survey of criminal justice professionals regarding their knowledge and use of information on drug addiction science, including genetics; an advisory panel and conference; and educational resource and reference materials for people interested in this issue, including drug addiction and/or genetic researchers, institutional review boards, drug treatment professionals, and criminal justice officials.

Participants

T. Howard Stone, LLM
Associate Professor of Bioethics
University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler

Ann Boughton
Chief Executive Officer
Twisted Ladder Media

Richard Cloud, MSW, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Louisville

Bruce Gale, MS
Executive Director of the Urban Studies Institute