War on Drugs Cant Be Won, According to Global Leaders

Firstdown,

People are going to buy drugs one way or another. The source may change, but if people want them they will find them. Fairly simple supply vs demand issue. Keep in mind, I said violent criminals should be in jail. Most of these big time drug groups are also violent criminals. That said, each offense has a graduated fine scale that quickly increases. If they fail to get the message, they will eventually be jailed.

Each person we have in prison ends up costing the US $22,000 a year*. That's your tax money hard at work to put other humans in cages to sit there all day. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Are we really the most crime ridden country, or are our laws part of the issue? I would argue there are issues with our laws. Want to cut spending? Start with keeping non-violent prisoners out of jail and have them pay fines. That makes money rather than losing it.

Look at our recidivsm rate in the country. The amount of people that go BACK to jail after being there is terribly high. After going to jail within 3 years 60ish percent are rearrested and 50ish percent are back in jail. When someone goes to jail, then gets out, they can't find a job, they've learned no skills to help them become a contributor to society, but rather continues to be a drain. We're sending people to jail, then kicking them out on the streets with no real way to support themselves, then expect them to not commit more crimes? If you want to keep putting record numbers of people in jail, we should be forcing them to develop skills and vocations. It wouldn't cost much more and I would be curious to see the effect on the recidivsm rate.

Most privatized prisons get paid for 90% occupancy, if they aren't full. They may be 'cheaper' than government run prisons, but I don't think there should ever be financial incentives for people to go to jail. There have been cases showing Judges giving overly harsh sentences and getting kick backs from these prisons. Here's one case: Kids for cash scandal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal)

There is no positive for society to toss people in jail to rot. Some people are beyond saving, but there are a lot of people who make bad decisions early in life and are unable to rebound. I couldn't imagine having jail time/a felony on my record and trying to get a job. It's damn near impossible and people will do what they need to do to survive. I'm not making excuses, some people are just bad apples, and they deserve to stay in prison. Some people can be highly functioning and contributing members of society if they don't spend a couple years in jail for fairly minor crimes.

* - Got this from a single source, will gladly hear other numbers.

How about chain gangs? Make felons work off their time?

My car needs washing.

How about chain gangs? Make felons work off their time?

My car needs washing.

I'm fine with labor or a fine. Their choice.

I'm fine with labor or a fine. Their choice.

Must be some roads we need built. Parks need cleaning up, rivers dredged, that kind of stuff.

Firstdown,

People are going to buy drugs one way or another. The source may change, but if people want them they will find them. Fairly simple supply vs demand issue. Keep in mind, I said violent criminals should be in jail. Most of these big time drug groups are also violent criminals. That said, each offense has a graduated fine scale that quickly increases. If they fail to get the message, they will eventually be jailed.

Each person we have in prison ends up costing the US $22,000 a year*. That's your tax money hard at work to put other humans in cages to sit there all day. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Are we really the most crime ridden country, or are our laws part of the issue? I would argue there are issues with our laws. Want to cut spending? Start with keeping non-violent prisoners out of jail and have them pay fines. That makes money rather than losing it.

Look at our recidivsm rate in the country. The amount of people that go BACK to jail after being there is terribly high. After going to jail within 3 years 60ish percent are rearrested and 50ish percent are back in jail. When someone goes to jail, then gets out, they can't find a job, they've learned no skills to help them become a contributor to society, but rather continues to be a drain. We're sending people to jail, then kicking them out on the streets with no real way to support themselves, then expect them to not commit more crimes? If you want to keep putting record numbers of people in jail, we should be forcing them to develop skills and vocations. It wouldn't cost much more and I would be curious to see the effect on the recidivsm rate.

Most privatized prisons get paid for 90% occupancy, if they aren't full. They may be 'cheaper' than government run prisons, but I don't think there should ever be financial incentives for people to go to jail. There have been cases showing Judges giving overly harsh sentences and getting kick backs from these prisons. Here's one case: Kids for cash scandal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal)

There is no positive for society to toss people in jail to rot. Some people are beyond saving, but there are a lot of people who make bad decisions early in life and are unable to rebound. I couldn't imagine having jail time/a felony on my record and trying to get a job. It's damn near impossible and people will do what they need to do to survive. I'm not making excuses, some people are just bad apples, and they deserve to stay in prison. Some people can be highly functioning and contributing members of society if they don't spend a couple years in jail for fairly minor crimes.

* - Got this from a single source, will gladly hear other numbers.


Your preaching to the wrong person. I'm all for legalizing drugs. As far as private jails its not like the companies are the ones throwing people in jail so they can turn a profit.

As for the kids for cash its illegal and that stuff also happenes in the public systems.

Outrageous HSBC Settlement Proves the Drug War is a Joke | | Rolling Stone (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/outrageous-hsbc-settlement-proves-the-drug-war-is-a-joke-20121213)


If you've ever been arrested on a drug charge, if you've ever spent even a day in jail for having a stem of marijuana in your pocket or "drug paraphernalia" in your gym bag, Assistant Attorney General and longtime Bill Clinton pal Lanny Breuer has a message for you: Bite me.

Breuer this week signed off on a settlement deal with the British banking giant HSBC that is the ultimate insult to every ordinary person who's ever had his life altered by a narcotics charge. Despite the fact that HSBC admitted to laundering billions of dollars for Colombian and Mexican drug cartels (among others) and violating a host of important banking laws (from the Bank Secrecy Act to the Trading With the Enemy Act), Breuer and his Justice Department elected not to pursue criminal prosecutions of the bank, opting instead for a "record" financial settlement of $1.9 billion, which as one analyst noted is about five weeks of income for the bank.

The banks' laundering transactions were so brazen that the NSA probably could have spotted them from space. Breuer admitted that drug dealers would sometimes come to HSBC's Mexican branches and "deposit hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, in a single day, into a single account, using boxes designed to fit the precise dimensions of the teller windows.


7cKTBy7_S_I


As I told you, the system is rigged.

Adrian Grenier:Drug war demonizes people - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/21/opinion/grenier-drug-war/index.html?hpt=hp_c3)

Documentary coming out, interesting fact:

"How to Make Money Selling Drugs" reveals that the real big bucks are made in the law enforcement, drug testing and prison industries. Each year, the U.S. spends more than $51 billion on the local, state and federal level to fund the drug war. This money would be well spent if it effectively protected public safety and health --- but instead it has dismantled families and communities, while reinforcing violence, overdose and illness.

Fortunately, the public is growing more aware. A majority of Americans believe the drug war has failed and support reforms such as decriminalization of marijuana, according to the Pew Research Center."

Why, it's almost as if we've allowed a drug class to be created to provide a revenue stream.

Cynical yet?

Adrian Grenier:Drug war demonizes people - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/21/opinion/grenier-drug-war/index.html?hpt=hp_c3)

Documentary coming out, interesting fact:

"How to Make Money Selling Drugs" reveals that the real big bucks are made in the law enforcement, drug testing and prison industries. Each year, the U.S. spends more than $51 billion on the local, state and federal level to fund the drug war. This money would be well spent if it effectively protected public safety and health --- but instead it has dismantled families and communities, while reinforcing violence, overdose and illness.

Fortunately, the public is growing more aware. A majority of Americans believe the drug war has failed and support reforms such as decriminalization of marijuana, according to the Pew Research Center."

Too bad issues like this can't generate as much public outcry as a gaming console having DRM or mandatory online check-in requirements. :doh:

All part of the subtle neutering of the herds intellect.

Give 'em their daytime shows and fast food, who needs anything else?

Murica!