ation survey, less than 20% of jails reported having drug treatment programs involving paid staff and 75% provided no group therapy, drug education, transition planning, or referral to community drug treatment agencies (Skolnick 5). What is the point of sending people to jail simply because they are addicted to a substance? Furthermore why, once they are in jail would we not look towards rehabilitation which is the supposed point of incarceration, instead of straight forward punishment? Jail is not the answer for addicts, treatment is. Politicians form their entire campaigns around the notion of getting tough on crime. Quite often tougher drug laws fall into this category. This is shown by the emergence of laws such as smoke a joint, lose your liscense, which exist in some areas of the country. While even if the candidate had a change of heart, he would not be able to do anything about it. He must remain true to both his platforms, and his party, or face the possibility of not being reelected. The only time a politician will come out and say anything about reform of drug laws, or legalization is when he is on his way out of office. This is shown in the case of New Mexicos Governor Gary Johnson, who just recently spoke out for reformation of drug laws. He did this while at the end of his last term in office(Norml). The United States government knows all the problems which drug legalization would alleviate. However they do not legalize drugs because it would cause various sectors of the government to lose money. Most of the money spent in the drug war is spent on law enforcement, and the correctional system. To legalize drugs, would mean that thousands of law enforcement and correctional officers would lose their jobs, because the crime created by the war would simply not be there. Also in the case of some agencies, they would probably be completely eradicated, such as the DEA. This would mean that these thousands of registered voters wou...
