Monika Fitts

Professor Flores

English 123

8 October 17

The War on Drugs

Today, the United States is home to 25% of the worlds prison population (Haney Lopez

1029). Ever since the declaration of the war on drugs in 1971, incarceration rates have risen and

they are continuing to do so. While some people are knowledgeable about this war and its

negative effects, others are oblivious to what the impacts of this war on drugs really are. This

essay will argue that the issues caused by the U.S war on drugs must be fixed by using some of

the billions of dollars allotted to fund the drug war to restore minority communities within our

prison system. As a result, this essay will go into more detail of the war on drugs, review its

historical timeline and its impacts, while also advocating for a possible solution to end the war

on drugs.

The Current Problem

There are many elements under the umbrella of mass incarceration that have added to this

nation-wide concern, but this paragraph will talk about the current problems caused particularly

by the war on drugs. One problem caused by this topic is racial inequality. According to Carol S.

Steiker, a Harvard law school criminal justice professor, the United States has the highest

incarceration rate in the world and the incarceration rate of a black male is higher than a white

man before the civil rights movement. Back in the 60s when the media wasnt broadcasting
news and current events on flat screen tvs and smartphones, people had little to no way of

conducting research on incarceration rates, they just knew that people were being terrorized and

thrown in jail for nonviolent crimes. In the present-day, information is available to everyone at

the convenience of their fingertips. The information and statistics from the drug war validate that

in these 50 years of fighting against drugs, the actuality of the war is that it fights against

minorities. In the book The New Jim Crow, prestigious civil rights lawyer and activist,

Michelle Alexander argues that today, it is perfectly legal to discriminate against people of color.

In fact, once you are convicted of a felony, discrimination is a predominant effect. As a criminal,

the eligibility to receive public housing, public benefits, certain jobs and to vote in certain states

is taken away (Alexander 2). According to an article written by Jamie Fellner and published by

the Stanford Law and Policy Review, the disproportionate numbers accumulated in relation to

minority arrests and incarcerations may not be important to the relatively untouched white

supporters, but those who are aware of militarization tactics used by officers, discriminatory

practices and cruel intentions of the war on drugs, it is clear to see that in the age of Obama,

racism is not gone. As a matter of fact, racism is still veritable and that is what fuels equality

activists. Another relevant problem that has risen as an effect of the war on drugs are economic

difficulties. While some thought that the prohibition laws came without a price tag, the

illegalization of drugs cost taxpayers the increase of taxes and a decrease of liberty.

Unfortunately, money does not grow on trees nor does it fall out of the sky. With that being said,

whether or not you are in support of the drug war, tax payers are the primary source of funds.

This example is not used to inspire you to stop paying taxes; it is used to open your eyes to the

information that is available if you look for it. According to Drug Policy Alliance, Federal and

state governments have wasted over a trillion dollars of taxpayers money. Unfortunately, the
demand for drugs in the United States has remained constant and the problems that Nixon

originally intended to solve have morphed into more problems. According to an article written

by the highly accredited non-profit group known as the Prison Policy Initiative, this mass

incarceration epidemic shows that prior to incarceration, the average median income for a person

who is in jail is $15,109 and the typical bail bond is $10,000. With incarceration rates rising,

people are less than likely to scrape up a big chunk of money at the drop of a dime, especially in

a poor area. According to Bernadette Rauby a senior Prison Policy Initiative analyst and Daniel

Koph an economics reporter, both editors have proved that over population in our prison systems

are leading to an endless cycle of jail time and poverty. Whether or not a persons bond is more

or less than $10,000, the system is set up so that it fails, the ability to pay a bond is impossible

for many, especially minorities living below the poverty line before incarceration (Rauby and

Koph 1). The research conducted by the Prison Policy affirms that if this vigorous jail time and

poverty cycle isnt broken, than the problem of mass incarceration will remain current.

History of the War on Drugs

Problems caused by the war on drugs did not happen overnight. In order for the current

problems to make sense, you must know what started the war on drugs and what events escalated

its prominence. This paragraph will go through the events in chronological order and elaborate

on why the war on drugs is a failure to the United States. According to the previously mentioned

article entitled, A Brief History of the Drug War written by the Drug Policy Alliance, the first

anti-opium laws were directed at the Chinese in the 1870s and the first-anti marijuana laws in the

1910s and 20s were directed at Latinos. Thus indeed proving that drug policies didnt have much

to do with the risks associated with drugs, they have everything to do with who is associated with

them. Flash forward to 1968 when Richard Nixon was running for president, According to
previously mentioned Haney Lopez, Nixon established the Southern Strategy. Nixons trategy

was based on the linkages between racial conflict and enforcing law and order (1026). In 1969

when Nixon became President, he proclaimed that the usage of drugs was a serious national

threat to the United States and promised that he would fix it. Within a span of two years, he

recognized the usage of drugs as public enemy No. 1 and in 1971, a war on drugs was officially

declared. The start of this drug war began in a time when the usage of drugs began to decrease

and the fight for equality amongst African Americans began to increase. With the up rise of the

war on drugs, minority communities became a direct target. According to a special series article

titled, Timeline: Americas war on drugs, The Drug Enforcement Administration better known as

the DEA, was created in 1972 to control all drug efforts. The establishment of enforcement

agencies led to suspicion less police sweeps, asset seizures and mass incarcerations. In a law

review written by University of Chicago scholars, Eric Blumenson and Eva Nilsen, Congress

passed a bill in 1984, that allowed federal law enforcement agencies to retain and use the

proceeds from asset forfeitures. What these forfeiture laws do well, is raise money. In fact,

during the year of 1994, $730 million dollars were seized and rewarded to police and

government officials in appreciation for their efforts (51-56). In a study conducted by the Byrne

grant program, they found that task forces had seized over one billion dollars in assets between

1988 and 1992(66). Although that sounds like a big number, reports by ElevationsHealth.com

show that the United States government spends roughly 36 billion dollars to keep this war going

and 80 billion dollars annually for simply keeping criminals behind bars. When and how are

we going to stop wasting money to fund this poor excuse for a war? Reverting back to Michelle

Alexander, this war on drugs has become institutionalized. It is no longer a special program or a

policized project; it is simply the way things are done (84). While some thought the war on
drugs would supersede, others knew that wouldnt be the case. A 2009 report breaking down the

population of those who are either in prison, on parole or probation due to the rise of

incarceration rates during this war on drugs shows that there are one in eleven African

Americans and one in forty-five whites in our highly disproportionate system (Haney Lopez

1025). Drug use and the sale of drugs has no color, regardless of if you are white, black, yellow,

purple, etc. As long as you have money to buy drugs, you will use them. With that being said,

why is it that one-eleven African Americans are behind bars when it is clear to see that Whites

use drugs too? Instead of targeting a certain race, we must figure out a way to stop the war on

drugs from remaining a current problem.

Solution to end the War on Drugs

The great Grace Speare once said, "Welcome every problem as an opportunity. Each

moment is the great challenge, the best thing that ever happened to you. The more difficult the

problem, the greater the challenge in working it out." This quote is acknowledged because the

problem of the war on drugs is an opportunity to correct this failed system. In this paragraph, you

will be introduce you to three different solutions to end the mass incarceration epidemic, While

recognizing that the war on drugs didnt pop up overnight, it is guaranteed that this epidemic will

not be solved overnight.

One solution to the end of this war on drugs is to simply legalize the use of drugs in the

United States. Although this may seem like a great idea to some, An academic journal written by

Thomas J. Scorza and Ronica Roth, states that there are about as many Americans in favor of

banning Mother's Day as there are in favor of legalizing the use of narcotics. While it is argued

that some think that the government shouldnt intervene in drug use and that the legalization of

narcotics would be a good thing coming from an economic standpoint. The legalization of drugs
wouldnt be the best solution to the end of the war on drugs because there would be more drug

induced deaths, more drugs would arise and instead of pinpointing what the real problem is the

human element wouldnt be considered and chances are, this solution will lead to an even bigger

problem.

Another solution to an end to this problem is through a social movement, In which

society will have to join together and embark on a journey amongst activists and rally and/or

reach out to congress whether it be with a call or a letter in hopes that it will attract their

attention. According to one of Steikers students, Professor Seidman argues that there is a cycle

of crime and punishment in the black community that is an overwhelming evil. Together we

must reevaluate our structure and work towards revolutionizing our countrys forms of

punishment. In previous paragraphs, The Civil Rights Movement has been discussed. The

importance of this movement compares and contrasts the power of coming together as one

standing up for your beliefs. During the 1950s segregation was legal. After people joined

together against segregation and discrimination, laws were passed that restricted segregation

from existing. With the use of technology and the media, it should not be hard for activists to

educate themselves, assemble rallies and reach out to members of congress in hopes that it will

change current laws and end the war on drugs. Although this is a great way to end the war on

drugs, social movements can lead to opposition, violence, and more ignorance. For instance,

according to Katie Mettler a Washington Post Journalist, very well-known group known as

Black Lives Matter are currently being sued for claims that incite that the movement rallys for

brutality against police, but the leaders of this group just want to raise awareness to innocent

lives being lost due to police brutality. A fear with this method is that it will lead to more

brutality and bloodshed.

 The most advocated solution to this problem, that will show the most change amongst our

society is to use the money that is being spent on funding our prisons and change the way

minorities and poor neighborhoods are perceived. According to Kayla Martensen, the war on

drugs put poor uneducated, African Americans under radar. By revolutionizing whats foreseen

as a poor neighborhood, the government can restore the neighborhood and educate people to do

better not only for them but for their community. According to Traci Burch, a Northwestern

University scholar, the war on drugs has contributed to an increase in crime in troubled

neighborhoods and poor family structures (Burch 717). This text explains that when someone is

locked up, it is not only the person that has to suffer, their families take a dramatic economic,

mental and physical hit. If fathers and mothers were given the ability to receive a second chance,

then there would be fewer struggling families, higher employment rates and a less crowded

prison system.

In conclusion to this problem addressed in the first paragraph of this review, the United

States should resist the urge to let history repeat itself. Back in the 1970s when the war on drugs

emerged, law enforcers did all that they could to get a person, specifically a minority behind

bars. It is a fact that the stereotypes that were painted of African Americans have shown an

impact on incarceration rates back then and still continue to do so. This review also addresses the

abundance of money the government spends funding this war and the effect of overpopulation in

our prison system. In the book, Hole in our Gospel written by Richard Stearns, he references a

passage from Isaiah 58, the reference of breaking every yoke suggests that any system, law or

practice that is unjust must be broken (56). In an attempt to achieve equality amongst the citizens

of the United States and move forward with reforms, we must raise awareness and use some of

the billions of dollars that is allocated to the war on drugs to be proactive in our society against
this war. By giving people the opportunity to redeem themselves, break chains and prove

stereotypes wrong, this will help increase the quality of life and reduce the current mass

incarceration problem.

Proverbs 22:2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.

Works Cited
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