Methadone maintenance programs--a two-edged sword?

Retrospective review was undertaken of all autopsies in which methadone was detected at the Forensic Science Centre, South Australia, during a 3-year period from July 1996 to June 1999. Thirty-five cases were found in which methadone had either caused or contributed to death (age range = 14-54 years; average = 31 years; M:F = 3.4:1). Ten victims were participating in a methadone maintenance program, of whom four died within a week of enrollment. Eight victims (23%) not enrolled in a methadone maintenance program were found who had died after the use of "diverted" methadone (i.e., prescribed for someone else) (age range = 14-34 years; average = 25 years; M:F = 6:2). Deaths were directly attributable to methadone toxicity in seven of the eight cases, with additional drugs or alcohol being found in seven cases. Prevention of ongoing deaths caused by methadone diversion could be achieved by allowing only daily releases of methadone, with the addict having to consume the drug under close supervision.     

Liberal moments and democracy’s durability: Comparing global outbreaks of democracy—1918, 1945, 1989

Conclusion Liberal Moments are constructed by ideational as well as more materials phenomena; by the crisis situations of war, the moments of peace that follow, and the liberal norms at play at each junsture. Understanding Liberal Moments is crucial to understanding the development of the international syaytem in the 20th century and the prospects for democracy or dictatorship across polities. These Moments have been times of heady enthusiasm, when the most liberal ambitions of key actors in the world community have been put forward. The patterns and extent of their unraveling are key indicators of the character of national politics thereafter. Daniel M. Green is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. His writings have appeared inDemocratization, Governance, Humboldt Journal of Social Research, and theReview of African Political Economy. He is currently finishing a book on the politics of economic reform in Ghana and editing a volume entitledConstructivist Comparative Politics: Theoretical Issues and Case Studies.     

“Yardsticks” for Victim Sensitive Process: Principle-Based Standards for Gauging the Integrity of Restorative Justice Process

For almost two decades restorative justice practices have demonstrated positive impacts on crime victim satisfaction when compared to court and other adversarial processes. Although restorative justice practice has by no means addressed the myriad needs of the majority of crime victims, researchers and policy makers have puzzled about how to interpret these generally positive findings. We suggest that remaining difficulties in interpretation and application of findings are due largely to (1) the lack of clear standards for gauging the integrity, or “restorativeness,” of interventions and (2) the failure to articulate logical mechanisms (i.e., intervention theories) that connect practices to immediate and intermediate outcomes, and these outcomes to long term changes in the well-being of victims, offenders, and communities. This article focuses primarily on the first problem, defining the “independent variable” in restorative practices aimed at having an impact on crime victims. Using qualitative data from a national case study, a principle-based approach to evaluation with implications for intervention theory and both input and outcome measures in future research is proposed and briefly illustrated.