Pill mills, occupational offending, and situational crime prevention: a framework for analyzing offender behavior and adaptation

摘要

The national problem with the misuse of opioid pain relievers is fueled by overly lax and illegal overprescribing practices. In the state of Florida, so-called "pill mills" are clinics in which physicians prescribe opioids for non-existent or exaggerated pain, often with profit as a motivation, thus making such prescribing a criminal enterprise. This study draws from in-depth interviews with police officers in Florida to examine this practice. The analysis contextualizes illegal prescribing as a form of occupational offending and applies a situational crime prevention (SCP) framework. However, instead of viewing SCP from the lens of crime prevention, this study analyzes the ways in which offenders capitalized upon opportunities to thwart investigations and place obstacles in the paths of police and prosecutors. The results add to the literature by highlighting the processes by which offenders manipulate their social and physical environments to mitigate risks and maximize rewards. The findings also speak to the ongoing problem of criminal law enforcement against occupational offending.