The War on Drugs: Winners and Losers

Ronald Reagan Introduces the War on Drugs (04:13) FREE PREVIEW The war on drugs differs from an actual war where both sides take casualties. In this self-perpetuating war, only the general public takes casualties, while police and prosecutors benefit from the war through increased budgets. Seized Assets and Police Motivation (04:47) Police claim to be motivated by removing crime and drug activities from poor neighborhoods. However, in 1984 the federal crime bill changed incentives for police involved in drug enforcement, allowing them to share in the assets seized. Guilty Until Proven Innocent (04:29) A police officer describes how police pose as drug dealers in undercover operations used to catch people trying to buy drugs and allowing the police to confiscate their car. Drug Enforcement Funded Through Seized Assets (06:15) Drug enforcement police can seize any type of assets deemed to be of value when they arrest drug dealers. The potential for corruption is high when many drug enforcement units fund themselves through the sale of seized assets. Incentives for Citizen Informants (05:49) Individuals receive cash rewards for informing officials of suspected illegal activities and drug involvement. Drug enforcement officers acknowledge the temptation to profit from criminal forfeitures. Problems With the Criminal Justice System (05:20) With over two million people in jail for drug crimes, middle and upper class white people end up in drug treatment while lower class minorities end up in jail. People now face longer sentences for minor drug crimes, especially those with prior records. Effect of Criminal Justice System on Low Income Communties (05:35) Communities are heavily impacted by the high numbers of youth becoming socialized within the prison system. In addition, a higher proportion of prisoners come from low-income communities than others. Criminal Justice: A Guaranteed Growth Industry (06:16) Private correction has become a profitable industry, creating many jobs and promoting economic development. Prisons have gradually become more barbaric, allowing minimal personal space or freedom. Comparing Prison Sentences Between Violent and Non-Violent Criminals (05:03) Non-violent offenders account for 60 percent of current prison populations in the U.S. In many cases, minor drug offenders serve much longer sentences than violent criminals, even rapists do. Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenders (05:57) Many victims of the mandatory minimum sentence laws serve unjustly long jail terms for unintentional association with drug crimes. The testimony of drug dealers and paid informants is the only evidence necessary to convict an innocent person. Ineffective Criminal Justice Policies (06:07) Many innocent people serve lengthy prison sentences for drug convictions based on suspicion or false testimony. Drug policy does not work to reduce crime, but to increase industry surrounding drug enforcement. Convictions as Measures of Success (05:49) A young female college student with no history of selling or using drugs was convicted to 24 years in jail for having a relationship with a drug dealer. A federal prosecutor reneged on his promises in order to attain this conviction. Children in Foster Homes (05:10) Many children with parents in prison have nowhere to go and end up in foster care. Children of incarcerated parents are more likely to end up in prison themselves. As drug enforcement increases, more women go to jail for drug crimes. Raising Children Without Families (02:48) Children raised in foster care are released from the system at the age of 16, at which point many are still unable to support themselves and end up in prison. Children that are more fortunate are placed in private foster homes. Drug Addicts Giving Birth and Going to Jail (08:14) While drug enforcement thrives, communities struggle as families are torn apart. State laws now mandate that doctors, nurses, and social workers must report pregnant women currently using drugs, even those in treatment. Lacking Treatment for Drug Addiction (03:32) The majority of hard core drug addicts do not receive treatment in the U.S. and the number of drug-related deaths has doubled since 1979. While the rate of drug-related incarceration increases, so does the rate of drug sales and addiction. Death by Overdose: A Preventable Fatality (03:14) One drug addict dies from a heroine overdose because his friends were afraid to seek medical attention while under the influence of drugs. Surveillance and Informants in the War on Drugs (02:25) With increasing levels of surveillance and informants in place, even children have turned into informants against their parents as instructed police in school drug abuse resistance education (DARE) programs.