NCJ Number
160037
Date Published
1996
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Increased criminal justice efforts will not solve the problem of drug use, but complete deregulation is not the answer; rather than embracing either of these extreme tactics, the United States should decriminalize drug use and simultaneously emphasize treatment, public health, and community safety.
Abstract
One response to the failure of the drug war has been to focus on even harsher sentences and more money for jails and prisons. The main reason why incapacitation is unworkable as a strategy against drug offenders is that resources are simply not sufficient to deal with the significant number involved. An estimated 25 percent of inmates are imprisoned on drug offenses, resulting in roughly 300,000 drug offenders in prison at any given point. The costs involved in constructing enough prison beds are prohibitive, plus it is not entirely clear what huge expenditures would accomplish. Although drug legalization may not be the answer, the author believes decriminalizing drug use will reduce and appropriately emphasize the treatment of drug addicts.