America's Drug War - Is it Worth It?

When you think of prisons what do you think of? Maybe you think of murderers and rapists. Maybe you think of robbers or white collar criminals. What if I told you, there are more people locked up in prison for drug related crimes than property crimes? What if I told you people who are locked up in prison for drug related crimes are serving longer sentences than robbers, burglars, and aggravated assault? How would that make you feel?

It has been over twenty years since America's war on drugs campaign began. The government's philosophy is getting them off the streets by locking them up. This may be the worst form of punishment for some drug offenders. Most drug offenders who are sent to prison are sent there with an addiction and do not receive proper rehabilitation. Since there are not adequate resources to rehabilitate drug offenders in the criminal justice system, most drug offenders become repeat offenders.

Is the government really doing its best in waging a war on drugs in America? I think the government is the only one benefiting from locking up all drug offenders. Poor and minority offenders are often misrepresented in the corrections system and when looking at drug offenders. It is obvious they are not benefiting from the war on drugs. The drug war is not waged on equality, but many lower class minorities find themselves direct targets. The government needs to look at some of the alternatives to criminalizing drugs and provide some form of help and therapy to those who are affected by drugs.

There are many things which have resulted from the war on drugs. First drug dealers and traffickers have made massive profits, due to the criminalization of drugs. Second, our prisons are becoming overcrowded because our government believes these people are a risk to society, thus running out of space for the most serious of offenders. Then there is the wave of corruption and deceit within police departments and other government agencies, not to mention how twisted our foreign policy has become. There has also been a surge in street crimes committed by addicts who are just trying to get their next fix. Urban areas have been flooded with street-level drug dealers and been forced to live in a state of fear because of the violent drug gangs. Just seeing some of these results leads me to believe we are losing the war on drugs in America.

What can be done instead of having a war on drugs? Well, there are few things that could happen. The first would be decriminalization of drugs. This would be eliminating or reducing the penalties for recreational drug use, just as Canada has done with marijuana in recent years. Decriminalization of drug use would have to involve regulations similar to alcohol regulations. This may bring down crime rates, while still letting the government gain from the profits of this underground trade. The second alternative could be just legalizing all drugs, which I personally do not think would be a good idea. If drugs were legalized in America, we might find our country to be more like Denmark, meaning homeless people may get their drugs free from the government and such. I really would not want my tax dollars paying for someone to support their habit. The third alternative would be harm reduction. This would involve reducing the harm associated with drug use such as needle exchange programs and methadone maintenance programs. While none of these approaches focus on reducing drug abuse rates, they do try to make America safer.

The war on drugs is not the answer to solving America's drug problems. What has to be done is a proactive approach to cleaning up the streets. First, people need to be educated on the how's and why's of drug abuse. Second, children need to be educated about the use and abuse of drugs to deter from becoming a drug offender. Third, there needs to be adequate resources for drug offenders to receive therapy and treatment, such as drug courts and other programs. Fourth, there needs to be new drug laws. It would be my opinion that we stop locking up people for a longer time period for a drug offense than some violent crimes and property crimes. It's time for a change. If you agree, write or call your congressman and let your voice be heard.