Posted on 10/14/2016 4:25:58 PM PDT by BBell
On any given day in the United States, at least 137,000 people sit behind bars on simple drug-possession charges, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch.
Nearly two-thirds of them are in local jails. The report says that most of these jailed inmates have not been convicted of any crime: They're sitting in a cell, awaiting a day in court, an appearance that may be months or even years off, because they can't afford to post bail.
"It's been 45 years since the war on drugs was declared, and it hasn't been a success," lead author Tess Borden of Human Rights Watch said in an interview. "Rates of drug use are not down. Drug dependency has not stopped. Every 25 seconds, we're arresting someone for drug use."
Federal figures on drug arrests and drug use over the past three decades tell the story. Drug-possession arrests skyrocketed, from fewer than 200 arrests for every 100,000 people in 1979 to more than 500 in the mid-2000s. The drug-possession rate has since fallen slightly, according to the FBI, hovering near 400 arrests per 100,000 people.
Defenders of harsh penalties for drug possession say they are necessary to deter people from using drugs and to protect public health. But despite the tough-on-crime push that led to the surge in arrests in recent decades, illicit drug use today is more common among Americans age 12 and older than it was in the early 1980s. Federal figures show no correlation between drug-possession arrests and rates of drug use during that time.
But the ACLU and Human Rights Watch report shows that arrests for drug possession continue to make up a significant chunk of modern-day police work.
"Around the country, police make more arrests for drug possession than for
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Think of them as unlicensed pharmacists.
...for 24-48 hours before release on their own recognizance. Unless they go for intent to distribute.
That’s sophistry. We sense a Gary Johnson supporter.
Then, don’t sell dope.
Did the ACLU get that from Burnie Sanders?
NOBODY spends months or years waiting for trial on a pot smoking charge....stupid accusation
“Then, don’t sell dope.”
God but you sound like a statist, inflexible, self-righteous ass. I neither sell “dope” or do I partake of “dope”. What I’m saying is that millions of Americans are being arrested, incarcerated, and have their civil rights taken away for smoking a plant and binging on too many chips.
Three out of four pot smokers in this country could become opium addicts before they even knew they were smoking opium dipped weed.
Opium and opium based addictive drugs are the ideal product for those dedicated to Mercantilism, and Mercantilism is the pure form of Globalism. The Brits even fought two wars to force China to keep letting them bring opium into China.
Who really believes the huge sums of money from the drug trade sloshing around world can't be choked nearly to death by governments if they wanted to do it?
Who believes the same banks that claim they're gasping for air and need a Federal bailout but have seemingly unlimited funds to pay the likes of Hillary Clinton millions for speeches aren't getting a slice of the money from the drug trade?
Who believes it's in the best interests of the US to guard opium fields in Afghanistan and support the export of opium from Afghanistan if there's actually a drug war?
The US hasn't waged a war on drugs since a few initial efforts under Nixon and those efforts were resisted by factions within the CIA, State Department, and Federal Enforcement agencies.
It's waged near constant war to retain control of the supply, ensure that preferred suppliers control the bulk of the market, and that those suppliers channel their profits into preferred channels for laundering.
As society page reports used to say, "A good time was had by all".
JMHo
Two thirds of those millions you speak of are probably in prison for pot possession because the DA agreed to drop and not pursue other charges if they'd plead guilty to pot possession. In the eyes of the DA, it saves money and gets them off the streets so what they're charged with isn't as important as having them off the streets as soon as possible.
I don’t believe that people should be charged for a lesser crime just because the DA is lazy. If if someone has committed a violent crime then they should be charged for that crime. If I was hiring people I’d want to know if they were violent verses if they just had a minor pot possession charge.
What about the millions of people who plead guilty to a felony just for getting caught with marijuana, what about those poor people?
Druggies behind bars? What’s not to like about that?
MJ smokers tend to be paranoid lunatics.
No it's just better to shoot druggies and dealers.
Maybe in your jurisdiction you just let casual users go but not where I live. They take them to jail and sometimes will offer diversion programs at their own expense.
Not it doesn't, since you are well-known for your support of drug-dealing biker-gangs.
LOL at you and all other question beggers.
If all you can come up with is question begging to support your point, then you need to bring in better minds.
... but you can’t. It’s against the law for police to be geniuses.
In return you'd get the same people incarcerated on different charges (well, about sixty percent of them, the others would get off on technicalities) instead of serving a mandatory three years or five years without parole for Possession. Those who were convicted of other charges would mostly be paroled after a year or at most two, many after much less since time awaiting trial would be considered time served with good behavior which could be considered prior to sentencing leading to reduced sentences, etc.
Therefore, a higher percentage of the people who actually committing crimes other than simple Possession, including violent crimes, would be walking the streets.
So, you believe we should spend a lot more money to have fewer criminals incarcerated.
Gad you cleared that up for me.
Oh, and as for pleading to a felony? They don't have to accept a plea bargain. They could be pure like you and go on to trial.
If all those poor souls refuse to accept pleas, no problem, see my first sentence for what you and all other taxpayers will be paying for. Just like "end the war on drugs". The costs of the alternative are no less expensive.
PS - Lazy DA trash talk is about ninety five percent BS, too, but if you think it's cool to spew nonsense, knock yourself out.
You must really love living in prison planet. Don’t confuse me for a liberal. I believe that most murderes deserve the death penalty and that it should not take them 20 years on death row before the meet their maker. I believe that prisons should be about hard labor and discipline, and that if you cause serious problems in prison then a second trial facing the death penalty. Perhaps of our justice system focused on true, horrible crimes we’d all be better off instead of going down this dystopian road we’re on now that you seem to be so proud of.
I think your handle “Rashputin” is revealing of your mindset, Rasputin was not a person who freedom and justice in the forefront of his thoughts and actions.
And that is exactly what dope-smoking druggies need.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.