> If we decriminalize drugs, that number will fall dramatically.
Not so much. Drug charges are common, but sentences are often short. Releasing everyone in state or federal prison solely or chiefly for drug crimes might manage a 14% drop. That's important, definitely, but we would still be #1 globally in incarceration rate.
And worse, that's everyone in on drug charges, up to and including smugglers and major dealers. Some of those people are fine to release, but remember that drug charges are very easy to get convictions with. So some people doing long sentences for dealing are also known murderers, but got convicted of possession/intent conviction because it's easier to prove in court. If we let them out, they'll probably reoffend violently. If we hadn't pressed drug charges initially, they'd have gone to prison for one of their other offenses. (The difficulty of identifying these people is one reason politicians are more opposed to decriminalizing than other people - they don't want to enable Willie Horton ads.)
None of which makes drug decriminalization bad! Our drug laws are ineffective and immoral. But something like cut50 is totally unattainable via drug law.
Not so much. Drug charges are common, but sentences are often short. Releasing everyone in state or federal prison solely or chiefly for drug crimes might manage a 14% drop. That's important, definitely, but we would still be #1 globally in incarceration rate.
And worse, that's everyone in on drug charges, up to and including smugglers and major dealers. Some of those people are fine to release, but remember that drug charges are very easy to get convictions with. So some people doing long sentences for dealing are also known murderers, but got convicted of possession/intent conviction because it's easier to prove in court. If we let them out, they'll probably reoffend violently. If we hadn't pressed drug charges initially, they'd have gone to prison for one of their other offenses. (The difficulty of identifying these people is one reason politicians are more opposed to decriminalizing than other people - they don't want to enable Willie Horton ads.)
None of which makes drug decriminalization bad! Our drug laws are ineffective and immoral. But something like cut50 is totally unattainable via drug law.