The War on Drugs is an ongoing campaign in American that calls for the prohibition of drugs in order to try and reduce the amount of illegal drug trade that is going on in America. The War on Drugs started on June 18, 1971 when President Richard Nixon gave a message declaring drug abuse as the biggest public enemy. After the War on Drugs started the government changed the way they enforced the law. They started becoming stricter about arresting people for drugs and started giving them longer sentences for small offenses. This "War" really a huge impact on the incarceration rate in America.
The government is now keeping more American’s in federal prison for drug crimes than those who were in there for other crimes all put together. Because of the mass incarceration rate due to the War on Drugs, the big debate at hand is whether or not the drug war has failed or not. The United States has 760 prisoners per 100,000 citizens, which is about seven to ten times as many as most other countries. America makes up 5 percent of the world’s population but makes up 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. In 2009, 1.66 million Americans were arrested for drug charges. In addition to the mass incarceration rate, there are many social costs involved with the war on drugs.
Not only is the War on Drugs impacting all of America, but it has particular significance on the high incarceration rate of women. Of these women, approximately 70% of them are primary caregivers for their children. Children whose moms are imprisoned are often times incarcerated due to the emotional impact of having their moms incarcerated. Approximately 90% of men in jail are fathers who rely on the moms to watch the kids, however because the percentage of mothers in prison is increasing at an alarming rate, children now have to be sent to foster homes. Overall, imprisonment of mothers have both an immediate effect as well as long-term effect on the issue of mass incarceration due to the War on Drugs in America.
Even though America has spent more than one trillion dollars in order to go to the cause for the war on drugs, incarceration rates are increasing and drugs appear to becoming more and more accessible, so there is a debate as to whether or not the war on drugs is actually effective and is a war worth fighting for.
The government is now keeping more American’s in federal prison for drug crimes than those who were in there for other crimes all put together. Because of the mass incarceration rate due to the War on Drugs, the big debate at hand is whether or not the drug war has failed or not. The United States has 760 prisoners per 100,000 citizens, which is about seven to ten times as many as most other countries. America makes up 5 percent of the world’s population but makes up 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. In 2009, 1.66 million Americans were arrested for drug charges. In addition to the mass incarceration rate, there are many social costs involved with the war on drugs.
Not only is the War on Drugs impacting all of America, but it has particular significance on the high incarceration rate of women. Of these women, approximately 70% of them are primary caregivers for their children. Children whose moms are imprisoned are often times incarcerated due to the emotional impact of having their moms incarcerated. Approximately 90% of men in jail are fathers who rely on the moms to watch the kids, however because the percentage of mothers in prison is increasing at an alarming rate, children now have to be sent to foster homes. Overall, imprisonment of mothers have both an immediate effect as well as long-term effect on the issue of mass incarceration due to the War on Drugs in America.
Even though America has spent more than one trillion dollars in order to go to the cause for the war on drugs, incarceration rates are increasing and drugs appear to becoming more and more accessible, so there is a debate as to whether or not the war on drugs is actually effective and is a war worth fighting for.