Society answer is to throw them back behind bars for even the smallest infraction of the law. This is why examining the policies for drug crimes needs to be carefully examined. There is no one size fits all in these situations and each needs to be judge separately.
Some say that the mandatory minimum sentences for illegal drug offences is fair while critics say that these sentences are too harsh, especially for first time offenders whose crimes are of low severity. Proponents say that if the sentences are too lenient it has the effect of increasing the crime rate (Thompson, 1998). Again, each case needs to be looked at on an individual basis. The severity of the crime as well as the perpetrators past record should play a large factor in the punishment handed down. Also, rehabilitation efforts should play a factor in the sentencing. Instead of putting these individuals behind bars and forgetting about them, more funding should be used for programs that help these individuals integrate back into society successfully and become productive citizens.
The fact that minorities and those considered lower class males make up the bulk of prisoners in our system gives the impression that these people are bad and they are where they belong. What we should do is ask ourselves if we as a society are setting these young men up for failure. Society seems to ignore the fact that poor economic conditions of these disadvantaged young men sometimes leads them to a life of crime (Pettit and Western, 2004). Opportunities to improve their economic system should be made readily available as a means to combat crime.
The war on drugs shows no signs of being eradicated anytime soon. Those that sell illegal...
Many people use drugs to escape reality and many sell illegal drugs because of the fast money that can be made. No one is excusing these people for their behavior and they should be punished. The questions is does the punishment always fit the crime. Our legal systems has a history of not being fair to minorities and they way that they are treated in sentencing for drug crimes is proof. The major focus on the war on drugs should be placed on those responsible for bringing illegal drugs into the country. The problem needs to be dealt with at its source. Common sense should tell us that people living in the ghetto and lower class neighborhoods do not have the means or money to bring drugs into our country, but yet they are the ones targeted the most. If the drug suppliers are stopped in their tracks, then the drug pushers would have nothing to sell or use. The problem isn't as difficult as we make it out to be.
Bibliography
Bobo, L. And Thompson, V. (2006). Unfair by design: The war on drugs, race and the legitimacy of the criminal justice system. Social Research, 73(2), 445-472.
Hemmens, C., & Walsh, a. (2010). The Law and Social Control. Law, Justice, and Society: A Sociolegal Introduction (2 ed., pp. 211-240). New York: Oxford University Press, USA.
Pettit, B. And Western, B. (2004). Mass imprisonment and the life course: Race and class inequality in U.S. incarceration. American Sociological Review, 69(2), 151-169.
Thompson, S.P. (1998). Which policies are working in the war on drugs? The war on drugs: Opposing viewpoints (pp. 102-141). San Diego, Calif.:…
