How Successful Is The War On Drugs Essay - 1001 Words

The war on drugs has maintained an accumulation of prohibitions on illegal drugs and mandatory minimum sentencing strategies for drug offenders. Incarceration rates have also increased due to the increase of laws against illegal drugs. In Eugene Jarecki’s film, The House I Live In, Jarecki states that the penalties for crack users were harsher than penalties for regular cocaine users. This suggests that penalties are more of a double standard theory. The â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure that places restrictions and prohibitions on drug offenders and has not necessarily shown a sense of equal stability; thus, leading to faulty sentences, misinterpretations of the real purpose of this initiative, and an overpopulation of prisons. These†¦show more content†¦The sentences that different drug users get is a double standard when it comes to the type of situation the drug offender might be in. Different drug offenders actually get longer sentences than other a nd most of them cannot get anything lower than twenty years. This is due to the minimum mandatory sentences placed during this time period of the â€Å"War on Drugs†. â€Å"[The] laws that enforce the policies differentially punish those who sell particular types of drugs and those with the least involvement in selling activities† (Radosh, 2008). There are different ways that these drug offenders get off the hook with the potential harsh sentences that await them. â€Å"If offenders have information that can be traded for a reduction in charges or immunity from prosecution, then they fare better than those with little or no information to trade† (Radosh, 2008). The minimum mandatory sentences really do not apply to drug offenders who might have valuable information, the law should punish them and these drug offenders should not be let off easy. Most of the time these criminals do not even make it to prison for the same reason. You can have a long-time dedicated drug dealer and a small-time crack user. The one who would really get the brutal sentence will be the small-time crack user, why? He or she is of no benefit when it comes to information or leads. â€Å"Those with the most information, or those with the most involvement in the distribution network,Show MoreRelatedCausal Analysis Of Mexico And Theu.s.1440 Words   |  6 PagesOver the past decade drug cartels has had a free flow through Central America to import illegal drugs to the U.S. Even with a strict drug policy drugs are still crossing the Mexican border. Due to corruption and political influence drug cartels are able to manipulate the government to go undetected. The drug cartel is infamous for their ability to kidnapped, corrupt, and kill anyone trying to crackdown or expose any operation. 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As I further researched I learned what the term, â€Å"War on Drugs† really means. The â€Å"War on Drugs† is about the prohibition of drugs in society. Therefore, I strongly believe that the Drug War is a ve ry controversialRead MoreThe Journalist Of The Year, By The Los Angeles Press Club1196 Words   |  5 PagesThe Journalist of the year, named by the Los Angeles Press Club, Radely Balko is the author of Rise of the Warrior Cop. Balko writes about how the increase in militarization of police forces have caused a lot of harm in the past decade. He questions what the proper role of law enforcement should be and discussed the effect of the drug on war has had. The main focuses of this book started off by giving a quick history of cops in America (also the name of chapter 3). In the remaining chapters he examinesRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pagesvote among other rights because he, â€Å"has been labeled as a felon and is currently on parole† (1). 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