Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations School of Public Service Summer 2014 The aW r on Drugs in the American States: Variations in Sentencing Policies Over Time Katherine Anna Neill Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/publicservice_etds Part of the Criminology Commons, and the Public Policy Commons Recommended Citation Neill, Katherine A.. "The aW r on Drugs in the American States: Variations in Sentencing Policies Over Time" (2014). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), dissertation, , Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/bs1d-e877 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/publicservice_etds/30 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Public Service at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE WAR ON DRUGS IN THE AMERICAN STATES: VARIATIONS IN SENTENCING POLICIES OVER TIME By Katharine Anna Neill B.S., 2008, George M ason University M.P.A . 2010, Old Dominion University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND URBAN POLICY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY AugustjLK j Reviewed by: Aoprnved by. Vinod Agarwal, Ph.D., Dean Jphpl C. Morris (Director) Strome College of Business Professor of Public Administration and Urban Studies Jo^jjA.ombard, Ph.D. V/ie Yusuf (Member) Graduate program Director and Ch Associate Professor of Public Department of Urban Studies and Administration and Urban Studies Public Administration ABSTRACT Since the 1970s US drug policy has focused on harsh punishments for drug offenders.