Policies to Reverse the Damage Caused by the War on Drugs

The war on drugs marked the start of a dramatic rise in the U.S. prison population. This policy became an engine for mass incarceration, as it resulted in an increase of Federal funding for drug control agencies, proposed measures such as mandatory and excessive sentencing laws and, yes, the now well-known and destructive no-knock warrants. The totality of these punitive measures does not increase public safety; rather, it produces permanent harm and disrupts the entire equilibrium of justice. This book examines how to repair the damage wrought by these overly excessive penalties.