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Chief Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr.
United States District CourtDistrict of Maine
Prescription Drug Abuse in Maine:The Federal Judicial Perspective
• Pharmaceutical overdose deaths outnumber motor vehicle deaths
• 23.6% of high school seniors have used someone else’s prescription drugs
• Over 500 babies suffer opiate withdrawal after birth
“A Cure with a Curse”Today in Maine
Type of Offense Incarceration Maximum Fine
Supervised Release
First Offense Up to 20 years $1,000,000 3 years to life
Second Offense Up to 30 years $2,000,000 6 years to life
Death or Serious Bodily Injury
20 years to life
Death or Serious Bodily Injury (if prior felony drug offense)
Mandatory life sentence
Federal Criminal LawFederal Sentences
Federal Criminal Law
National FederalProsecutions by Type
Non-Drug CrimesDrug Crimes
Maine FederalProsecutions by
Type
Federal Criminal Law
National Federal DrugProsecutions
Powder Cocaine Crack Cocaine Heroin MethamphetamineMarijuana Other Drugs
Maine Federal Drug Prosecutions
Federal Criminal Law
National Federal DrugProsecutions
Methamphetamine Other Drugs (includes Prescriptions)
Maine Federal Drug Prosecutions
Federal Criminal LawPercentage of Drug Trafficking Defendants
Cooperating with Law Enforcement
National Maine0
102030405060708090
100
Federal Criminal LawDefendants by Gender, Nationally
Powder Cocaine Meth & Other Drugs
Federal Sentencing in Maine
Defendants Sentenced in 2010for Prescription Drug Crimes
Portland Bangor0
5
10
15
20
Southern Maine v. Northern Maine
Federal Sentencing in MaineSouthern Maine v. Northern Maine
Drug trafficking prosecutions for prescription drugs ONLY:
• Aroostook
• Hancock
• Kennebec
• Piscataquis
• Washington
Federal Sentencing in MaineCrack Cocaine ProsecutionsAugust 2009 – September 2011
Southern Maine= 46
Federal Sentencing in MaineCrack Cocaine ProsecutionsAugust 2009 – September 2011
Southern Maine
= 1
= 46
Northern Maine
FY 2010
FY 2011
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Federal Sentencing in MaineViolations of Supervised Release
for Prescription Drug Abuse
20.6%
38.2%
Why & How?
Why & How?
• Age-old human desire to get high…
Why & How?
• Efficacy of opioid agonists…
• Age-old human desire to get high
Why & How?
• Legal substance…
• Age-old human desire to get high
• Efficacy of opiod agonists
Why & How?
• Age-old human desire to get high
• Legitimate source…
• Legal substance
• Efficacy of opiod agonists
Why & How?
• Efficacy of opiod agonists
• Age-old human desire to get high
• Legitimate source
• Legal substance
• Money…
Why & How?
• Efficacy of opiod agonists
• Age-old human desire to get high
• Legitimate source
• Legal substance
• Out-of-state sources…
• Money
Responses
Responses
• Criminalization…
Responses
• Criminalization
• Treatment…
Responses
• Treatment
• Drug Court…
• Criminalization
Solutions
Solutions
• Changes in the formula…
Solutions
• Changes in the formula
• Advances in neurobiology…
• Advances in neurobiology
• While we wait…
• Changes in the formula
Solutions
• Advances in neurobiology
• While we wait:
• Changes in the formula
• State and federal cooperation…
Solutions
• Advances in neurobiology
• While we wait:
• Changes in the formula
• Education…
Solutions
• State and federal cooperation
• Advances in neurobiology
• While we wait:
• Women and drugs…
• Changes in the formula
Solutions
• State and federal cooperation
• Education
• Advances in neurobiology
• While we wait:
• Users and dealers…
• Changes in the formula
Solutions
• State and federal cooperation
• Education• Women and drugs
• Advances in neurobiology
• While we wait:
• Other tools…
• State and federal cooperation
• Education• Women and drugs• Users and dealers
• Changes in the formula
Solutions
Federal Criminal Law
• Far-reaching impact
Sentencing in Maine
• Crime meets punishment
• Defendants often speak
• Reasons to hope…
• Balancing individual fairness with societal justice
