California Voters Likely to Decriminalize Drug-Possession Crimes in 2012 Election. Is Nevada Following Suit?

May 14, 2011 (Press-News.org) For years, the United States has battled the infamous "war on drugs." First coined by President Richard M. Nixon in 1970, the "war" was designed to crack down on drug offenses and the drug trade by increasing budget resources to clean-up crime and by implementing hard jail sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

As a result, subsequent laws were passed heightening the penalties for drug-related offenses. The number of nationwide drug arrests therefore rose a whopping 126 percent by the 1980s, raising the number of incarcerated drug offenders twelvefold.

But, despite rising incarceration rates, some say the "war" has been a complete failure. A number of California voters, for example, were recently polled about their thoughts surrounding penalties for drug crimes, and, according to the results, are in favor of decriminalizing drug-possession crimes.

And, like any other controversial issue, once it becomes a popular public opinion and voters start "tweeting" or advertising their ideas on Facebook, the media outlets and other states start to take notice and even jump on board.

California Poll Results Reveal Voters Favor no Jail Time for Drug-Possession Crimes

In early April 2011, California voters were asked about their opinions on current California penalties for drug-related crimes. The poll numbers revealed that many voters favor decriminalizing drug-possession crimes for not only pot but cocaine and heroin as well.

The survey showed that 40 percent of California voters would vote in a 2012 election to reduce these crimes to a simple infraction and put them in the same category as a speeding ticket that carries no jail time. And, 75 percent of California voters would likely vote in favor of reducing these crimes to misdemeanors if the option were included on a future ballot.

This revelation, some would argue, concludes one of two things: California voters either think the war on drugs isn't working or they would rather have their tax dollars spent on something else. Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, the deputy state director for Southern California for the Drug Policy Alliance (a national organization that defends measures to decrease sentences for drug crimes), seemingly indicates it's the latter. "An overwhelming majority of California voters don't want to waste money on incarcerating people for drug possession," she says.

And this should come to no surprise. According to the Drug War Clock--an internet site that tallies how much money the war on drugs costs taxpayers each second of the day--state and local governments spent $25 billion dollars in 2010 to fight drug crimes.

Is Nevada Following Suit?

Voters in the state of Nevada may also be following suit. According to the Las Vegas Sun, $8 billion taxpayers' dollars are spent housing just 400 prison inmates each year. And, in the midst of state budget shortfalls, Nevada lawmakers are taking notice. Assembly Bill 93 is currently before the State Assembly Judiciary Committee and aims to put nonviolent criminal drug offenders in substance abuse programs instead of jail, saving the state millions of dollars.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (a U.S. non-profit source that provides facts and analysis for policymakers and general public) has put together a report from 2009 figures gathered from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The report reveals that Nevada currently ranks 15th among states with the highest prison rates; incarcerating 470 prison inmates for every 100,000 state residents.

Like California, Nevada voters may likely decide to vote for ballots in 2012 favoring the decriminalization of drug crimes if it means either cutting popular state-funded programs or raising taxes to pay for the ever-increasing rise in the state prison population.

As more and more media outlets start analyzing the upcoming 2012 election and discuss issues voters care about, like incarcerating low-level drug offenders, the greater likelihood that this issue will become front-and-center in many more states across the nation.

In 2010, over $15 billion dollars was spent fighting the war on drugs; equating to about $500 per second.

Article provided by Oronoz Law Offices-Las Vegas Trial Lawyers
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