Steven R. Belenko is Senior Research Fellow at the New York City Criminal Justice Agency. He has directed several major research projects dealing with the relationship between the use or sale of crack and criminal behavior and the use of other illicit drugs and their impact on the criminal justice system. He holds a PhD in experimental psychology from Columbia University and has written at length on crack and anti-drug policy.

"[C]rack is essential reading not only for experts and professionals but average Americans. Belenko painstakingly sifts through the empirical research in pharmacology, criminal behavior, and enforcement to expose the errors of America's recent antidrug policy. . . . Although the study is rich in details of the crack problem, the author sees the big picture, concluding that incarcerating more and more black and Hispanic drug users and low-level sellers has not and will not solve the nation's drug problem and that the key research and policy issue is why so many American's take psychoactive drugs. The work stands out among the antidrug literature for its solid empirical analysis. Highly recommended for all readers." - Choice

• Preface Introduction The Emergence of Crack and the Public Response Media Coverage of the Crack Era Physiological and Psychological Effects of Crack Profiles of Crack Users and Sellers Crack and Criminal Behavior Crack in the Streets: Marketing and Distribution The Criminal Justice System Response Crack and the Future of Anti-Drug Policy Bibliography Index