Poor Prescription: The Costs of Imprisoning Drug Offenders in the United States

• NCJ Number: 193523
• Author(s): Vincent Schiraldi; Barry Holman; Phillip Beatty
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 36 pages
• Corporate Author: Justice Policy Institute
• Sale Source: Justice Policy Institute
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded February 15, 2002

Annotation

This paper explores the issues surrounding the incarceration of persons for drug offenses.

Abstract

The Justice Policy Institute examined a number of questions: what proportion of the total current prison population is comprised of persons incarcerated for drug offenses? What is the United States currently spending to incarcerate drug offenders? How has incarceration for drug offenders increased over time versus incarceration for other categories of offenders? How have drug commitments for whites and Blacks changed over time? Which States make the most use of prison space for drug offenders? Do States that incarcerate a higher proportion of their citizens for drug offenses have lower rates of drug use among their citizens than States that make more economical use of prisons for offenders? The Justice Policy Institute found that while the number of persons imprisoned in State institutions for violent offenses doubled from 1980 to 1997, the number of nonviolent offenders has tripled, and the number of persons imprisoned for drug offenses has increased eleven-fold. Almost one in four persons imprisoned in the United States is incarcerated for a drug offense. The cost of incarcerating over 485,000 prisoners for drug offenses exceeds $9 billion annually. This punitive approach has had a disproportionate effect on young, Black males. Prison commitments for young Black males have increased six-fold while prison commitment for young, whites males has doubled. The study also showed that States with higher rates of drug incarceration experience higher, not lower, rates of drug use. Faced with the data reported by this organization and others, States around the country have begun to experiment with ways to address substance abuse without depending on unnecessary imprisonment or devoting large sums of money to the problem. This experimentation includes legislative changes, judicial efforts, and voter initiative reforms. A population the size of the District of Columbia is currently incarcerated for drug offenses. As States like New York and California have led the Nation’s move toward incarcerating drug offenders, perhaps those States can lead the Nation in a more reasonable, effective, and humane approach to dealing with substance abuse and its problems. Appendixes