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Just How Much The War On Drugs Impacts Our Overcrowded Prisons, In One Chart

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posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:01 PM
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America's prisons are dangerously overcrowded, and the war on drugs is mainly to blame.

Over 50 percent of inmates currently in federal prison are there for drug offenses, according to an infographic recently released by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (see chart below). That percentage has risen fairly consistently over decades, all the way from 16 percent in 1970.







As the article points out, over 60% of the prison population in the US is in jail, for NON-violent offenses, 50% directly related to Prohibition.

Clearly at some point we must Admit to the failure of the "war" on drugs, and start to repair the damage it has caused.

NO knock warrants leading to innocent deaths, overcrowded prisons ran by corrupt corporations that pay for lobbying for mandatory minimums while bribing judges.

We learned once that prohibiting vice only ends in violence and crime, so why have we forgotten that and continue with this nonsense?

Portugal reversed their policies and saw crime and drug use drop dramatically, PEOPLE sought treatment at higher rates once they knew they would not be punished.

Yet here in america we are content to live in country with the largest prison population the world over...





How much the war on drugs impacts



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:07 PM
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posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:10 PM
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LightSpeedDriver
reply to post by benrl
 

Grunt.... may not discuss....groan... in an adult .....gasp... and open way.....strain! 404 on the door. Instead of 420. Meh!

Gotta love open and frank discussions on all subjects here at ATS... except one!


PS Hope my comment doesn't kill your thread but eventually one will. Par for the course here.

edit on 10/3/14 by LightSpeedDriver because: Typo


I AM discussing a glaring and gross incompetent failure of a fiscal policy, that has led to multiple civil rights violations, and a militarized police force.

Open discourse on this matter is paramount and vital to the progress of this nation, and keeping it on the topic of the apparent failures of rather than what is being prohibited is essential.
edit on 10-3-2014 by benrl because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:12 PM
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posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:14 PM
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reply to post by greencmp
 


I have asked the MODS to watch this thread to keep the topic on the apparent failures and rapid increase of prison growth due to the policy itself.



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:16 PM
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reply to post by benrl
 


I'm with you on all fronts. I'm not sure what's worse. Imprisonment or the livelihoods ruined even in lue of being released.

Children without parents and parents losing their children to a corrupt system designed to snare and entrap our citizens for financial gain. I have hope that this will one day change.

With so much to lose...will they ever???



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:18 PM
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posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:19 PM
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posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:21 PM
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reply to post by benrl
 


I am glad to see the US is still number one at a few things-

most prisoners

most spent on military

Our politicians are obviously working hard to keep the US #1!



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:21 PM
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TiedDestructor
reply to post by benrl
 


I'm with you on all fronts. I'm not sure what's worse. Imprisonment or the livelihoods ruined even in lue of being released.

Children without parents and parents losing their children to a corrupt system designed to snare and entrap our citizens for financial gain. I have hope that this will one day change.

With so much to lose...will they ever???


As a policy its a dismal failure, it destroys families, prevents young from finding gainful employment, and a growing majority view it as silly.

Yet theres money to be made, and corporate gain to be had, so despite the will of the people the militarization of the police that started with one "war on" ends in another.

Never once thinking that the police should not be waging "war" on the populace.

Does anyone remember a time when you saw a police officer and didn't get a little nervous?

IN america that should be the last feeling we get when we see someone thats supposed to protect us?

The us vs them mentality of the police, caused by this policy should be stopped.



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:22 PM
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posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:26 PM
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reply to post by benrl
 


It really says something when one bar of your bar graph is so skewed out that another category, National Security with 73 inmates, gets rounded down to 0.0% despite not being 0.



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:28 PM
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reply to post by TiedDestructor
 


Only if you advocate using them in ways not intended on their labels.



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:29 PM
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reply to post by Krazysh0t
 


And that is yet another interesting point,

How much have we put up with?

How many rights violated?

And its hardly a blimp on the radar?

Something doesn't add up there, its as if national security was pretty safe and it was a red herring to take our rights...



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:31 PM
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Let's stay on topic folks and see if we can't keep this going

Reminder:

The topic is NOT ATS Policy

Thanks

Semper



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:32 PM
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reply to post by benrl
 


758 inmates in jail for bank and insurance, counterfeit, and embezzlement crimes. Where are America's priorities?



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:33 PM
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reply to post by Krazysh0t
 


Yes, it would seem that all one needs to do to commit egregious fraud in america is team up with your fellow crooks and call yourself a bank or investment firm.



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:35 PM
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reply to post by benrl
 

I dont do drugs nor do I advocate drug use, neither prescription nor legal (alcohol, tobacco etc.) nor illegal.

But this so called "war on drugs" is a complete failure yet accounts for the majority of the prison system.

The Military Industrial Complex needs a constant enemy (was "Communism" now its Moslems/"terrorism") in order to try and justify endless war-fare and spending.

In much the same way, the Police State Industrial Complex needs the "war on drugs".

That having been said, there is one group of (current and former) law enforcement officers who see things a little differently.


edit on 10-3-2014 by gladtobehere because: wording



posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:35 PM
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posted on Mar, 10 2014 @ 03:37 PM
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I strongly believe, to stay within the very interesting topic here, we could solve a great % of this issue with ONE change of law. Just one. It isn't about the nature of the offense, either. It never should have been, but it's come to be that way over time. However, the solution isn't about that, it's about FIXING what's broken because of that approach up to now.

What could I be talking about? Well...check out the OP's graphics and information (which I have no problem with factually) and then check this one out...


This list includes all federal (not state) sentencing laws that require the judge to give the offender a mandatory minimum prison term. Laws that require the judge
to impose only a minimum fine or period of supervised release are not included in this list. The crimes charged most frequently today (i.e., drug crimes, gun
offenses) are presented first, followed by statutes that are used less frequently. This list includes only the laws in effect as of August 6, 2012.


Complete List of Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences Currently Imposed In the US

The first page of that deals specifically with that this thread and forum discuss. The following pages may actually shock some folks for how severe and how asinine some of it is. Just remember.....Mandatory means what it says. MANDATORY.

One change of law. ELIMINATE the mandatory nature of the sentences that document was created to show the public. How many are sitting in cells where even the JUDGE may have totally disagreed on a personal level, but for the law? The Judge will have had no choice, either way, in imposing what those charts right there say. In most cases, that is as close to an absolute as one gets in this nation for act and consequence.

In how far it's abused? It's the single largest travesty within the American Justice System today, in my opinion.



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