The failed war on drugs has been ‘devastating’ for African-Americans, says a report released by the Brookings Institution.
Between 1993- 2011, there were three million admissions into federal and state prisons for drug offenses—representing one-third of total admissions in recent years, Jonathan Rothwell, a Metropolitan Policy Program fellow with the think tank, writes in a report entitled “Drug offenders in American prisons: The critical distinction between stock and flow.”
“It is clear that the effect of the failed war on drugs has been devastating, especially for black Americans,” writes Rothwell. “These figures show how largely this problem looms over the lives of many Americans, and especially black Americans. A dangerous combination of approaches to policing, prosecution, sentencing, criminal justice, and incarceration is resulting in higher costs for taxpayers, less opportunity for affected individuals, and deep damage to hopes for racial equality. “
The report is available HERE.