Female Crack Sellers in New York City: Who They Are and What They Do

• NCJ Number: 174485
• Journal: Women and Criminal Justice Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: 1997 Pages: 25-55
• Author(s): E Dunlap; B D Johnson; L Maher
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 31 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1R01DA05126-02
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A descriptive analysis focused on female crack dealers in New York City in terms of the various roles that women perform and the ways women have been incorporated into existing roles within drug distribution networks.

Abstract

The research also examined the niches some women have carved out for themselves in the crack economy and the broader patterns and relationships among supply, demand, and consumption. Participants were recruited as part of a larger 5-year ethnographic study of crack distribution in New York City, titled "Natural History of Crack Distribution/Abuse" and examining the structure and functioning of crack distribution groups. Results revealed that the need to finance consumption by female crack users has led to the creation of additional roles specifically associated with crack distribution. These roles occur within the confines of low-level sales and distribution activities, but they account for a significant element of female participation in the drug economy. Notes and 27 references (Author abstract modified)