Criminal Justice Professor Peter Collins presented his research on substance abuse and social support at the 11th Annual European Society of Criminology Conference. His interdisciplinary work, “Substance Abuse Is a Wicked Problem: The Collaborative Capacity, Social Support & Cost-Benefit Nexus,” focused on the use of economic methods to estimate the costs and benefits associated with the provision of substance abuse treatment in Idaho.

To lend context to the cost-benefit findings, his research utilized theoretical concepts from the fields of criminal justice/criminology and public policy. In recognizing that the provision of substance abuse treatment is a valid form of social support, his study works to expand the knowledge of the policymaker role within treatment systems.

The European Society of Criminology is the largest criminological association outside of the United States. The 2011 conference was held in Vilnius, Lithuania, in September.

The College of Arts and Sciences, the largest college in Seattle University, offers 33 undergraduate and 7 advanced degrees including B.A. and B.S. degrees in Criminal Justice, an M.A. in Criminal Justice, a joint MA/JD degree with the School of Law, and a Certificate in Crime Analysis. The Criminal Justice Department is one of only seven programs in the United States to receive certification from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.