Tag Archives: drug trafficking

WHO’S REALLY IN PRISON FOR MARIJUANA?


by David G. Evans, Esq.

Drug legalization advocates claim that prisons are overflowing with people convicted for only simple possession of marijuana. This claim is aggressively pushed by groups seeking to relax or abolish marijuana laws. A more accurate view is that the vast majority of inmates in prison for marijuana have been found guilty of more than simple possession. They were convicted for drug trafficking, or for marijuana possession along with other offenses. Many of those in prison for marijuana entered a guilty plea to a marijuana charge to avoid a more serious charge. In the US, just 1.6 percent of the state inmate population were held for offenses involving only marijuana, and less than one percent of all state prisoners (0.7 percent) were incarcerated with marijuana possession as the only charge. An even smaller fraction of state prisoners were first time offenders (0.3 percent). The numbers on the US federal prisons are similar. In 2001, the overwhelming majority of offenders sentenced for marijuana crimes were convicted for trafficking and only 63 served time for simple possession. [FN1]

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The Truth About Prisons & Marijuana

by David Evans   I worked in the New Jersey criminal justice system for years, setting up programs for addicts and alcoholics.    Prison programs for addiction do not work as well as programs outside prison. There’s too much game playing to get out sooner.  Instead, we set up a program so that inmates would be released and had their parole date but had to spend the last month or so in a residential treatment program.  It worked better.   You never know what will work with somebody.

Drug legalization advocates claim that prisons are overflowing with people convicted for only simple possession of marijuana.  This claim is aggressively pushed by groups seeking to relax or abolish marijuana laws. Continue reading The Truth About Prisons & Marijuana