Why is it necessary to focus on drug-related crimes?

  • Since 1998, individuals arrested for drug crimes have constituted the larges portion of federal prison admissions.
  • Between 2000 and 2011 , Bureau of Prisons (BOP) appropriations almost doubled from $3.6 billion to $6.3 billion.
  • Inmates sentenced after November 1, 1987 are no longer eligible for parole.

The number of people in state prisons for Drug offenses today is 10X GREATER THAN IN 1980.

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Recidivism Rate

45.4% of people released from prison in 1999 and 43.43 of those sent home in 2004 were re-incarcerated within 3 years, either for committing a new crime or for violating conditions governing their release.