Missing the moral: Excited delirium as a negative case study of a moral panic

Abstract

This article examines Excited Delirium, a controversial medical explanation offered as an explanation for a variety of in-custody deaths. It appears to fit all essential criteria to incite a moral panic, featuring a powerful moral entrepreneur playing off of well-established fears of drugs use and psychosis, with a classic folk devil in the form of young men of color. Yet Excited Delirium has failed to provoke a widespread response, raising the question of how a phenomenon that meets all the classic criteria can fail to incite a moral panic. I argue this stems from the entrepreneurs involved failing to present themselves as sufficiently moral, their campaign to medicalize the phenomenon meeting an unreceptive medical field, and their broad conception of Excited Delirium too easily facilitating strong counter-narratives. This study uses Excited Delirium as a negative case to demonstrate several important factors to consider in the development of moral panics.

Beyond Panic: Variation in the Legislative Activity for Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws Across States Over Time

“…Much of the existing literature on criminal justice policy change has focused on the impetus for or consequences of legislative reforms. For example, researchers that have investigated criminal justice responses to drug crime have attributed expanding drug war policies (e.g., three-strikes laws) to growing public anxiety about drug-related crime (Farraiolo, 2014; Hawdon, 2001; Hill, Oliver, & Marion, 2012; Meier, 1992; Omori, 2013; Wozniak, 2016). Furthermore, drug policy scholars have noted unintended consequences for offenders and communities (e.g., prison overcrowding, impact on families, etc.…”

Making Sense of ‘Excited Delirium’ in Cases of Death after Police Contact

“…It is notable that there are no cases in the dataset where a Taser has been used by police on the deceased. This is in sharp distinction to the literature from Canada and the US where Taser use is frequently identified in cases of DAPC when ED is determined to be present (see, for example Wozniak, 2016, Razack 2015, Storey, 2012, Brodeur 2010, Wetli, 2006.…”

“…It is not recognised by the American Medical Association or the World Health Organisation (Wozniak, 2016, Samuel et al 2009. It is, however, recognised by the American National Association of Medical Examiners and the American College of Emergency Physicians (Hall et al 2013, Storey, 2012, Vilke et al 2012.…”

“…The condition known as excited delirium (ED) 5 appears to represent a juxtaposition of BME groups, mental health issues and substance use. In the US and Canada, ED is commonly identified with the use of Tasers by police officers (Wozniak, 2016). The available literature on ED in relation to police interactions comes principally from the US, but also from Canada.…”