Your drug war at work

[natedogg]

From http://www.drugwarfacts.org/prison.htm

Summary:

55% of all federal prisoners are in for drugs, 45% of THOSE are for possession only.

We spend $3 Billion a year to keep federal drug prisoners (note that doesn't include states,which are even more).

And the kicker. According to this govt survey, drug use has INCREASED among adults in the 1979 to 1999 period.

Ah, my tax dollars at work.

natedogg

[TomCollins]

Slightly misleading since Federal prisons only account for a small percentage of all prisons.

[Machinehead]

It's not misleading, he said it doesn't take into account the states. If you added in the cost for all state prisons the number is way higher.

[tolbiny]

[ QUOTE ]
According to this govt survey, drug use has INCREASED among adults in the 1979 to 1999 period

[/ QUOTE ]

Come on now nate, you know as well as anyone that the government is inept, there is no way we can trust the results of that survey.

[RedBean]

[ QUOTE ]
Slightly misleading since Federal prisons only account for a small percentage of all prisons.

[/ QUOTE ]

Federal prisons only account for about 8% of the total inmate population in the US.

It would be a little less misleading if the statistics provided included state inmates....but then again it may not suit whatever agenda the website wanted by only including these numbers.

[madnak]

"In 2002, drug law violators comprised 21.4% of all adults serving time in State prisons - 265,000 out of 1,237,500 State prison inmates."

You should read the site before attacking it.

[bluffe]

[ QUOTE ]
From http://www.drugwarfacts.org/prison.htm

Summary:

55% of all federal prisoners are in for drugs, 45% of THOSE are for possession only.

We spend $3 Billion a year to keep federal drug prisoners (note that doesn't include states,which are even more).

And the kicker. According to this govt survey, drug use has INCREASED among adults in the 1979 to 1999 period.

Ah, my tax dollars at work.

natedogg

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, for once, we agree. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[bkholdem]

[ QUOTE ]
"In 2002, drug law violators comprised 21.4% of all adults serving time in State prisons - 265,000 out of 1,237,500 State prison inmates."

You should read the site before attacking it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this whole thing is insane. Decriminalize drugs, make possession a civil violation if you want and issue a fine. Cops and prisons should be for violent criminals. Decriminalize and decrease violent crime and burgleries done to fund high cost addiction.

Of course this takes power away from government/police so they would rather insite fear and ramp up taxes and encrouch upon americans freedoms using propaganda, etc.

[sam h]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
From http://www.drugwarfacts.org/prison.htm

Summary:

55% of all federal prisoners are in for drugs, 45% of THOSE are for possession only.

We spend $3 Billion a year to keep federal drug prisoners (note that doesn't include states,which are even more).

And the kicker. According to this govt survey, drug use has INCREASED among adults in the 1979 to 1999 period.

Ah, my tax dollars at work.

natedogg

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, for once, we agree. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. This is a funny issue. Whereas most issues break down along roughly partisan or conventional ideological lines, the primary variable distinguishing those who support the drug war from those who oppose it seems to be having any interest or knowledge about politics at all.

Unfortunately, the distribution on that variable is weighted pretty heavily towards the other side. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[Nepa]

I totally agree with you here Nattdog.