Issues in Criminal Justice (JF)
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Nolan Challenges U.S. Drug Policies |
Pat Nolan, Vice President of Prison Fellowship and Director of Justice Fellowship, called for radical changes in the way the U.S. confronts drug policy during a panel discussion hosted by the Cato Institute on July 7, 2009.
Calling the current system unjust, Nolan pointed out that prisons are meant for people society is afraid of, but we’ve filled them with drug offenders “we are just mad at.”
 Nolan argued for a wide range of reforms in our drug policy - from the repeal of mandatory minimum sentences to the development of drug courts. Treatment within the community, Nolan said, is far more beneficial than warehousing drug offenders behind bars.
He also held up the successful example of the HOPE program, which is run by Hawaii’s Judge Steven Alm. This program has used swift, small punishments rather than new prison sentences to deal with probationers who fail drug tests.
Nolan also noted the harm of arming local police departments with military equipment and giving them free reign to conduct drug raids. Innocent people have died in these violent raids, and we need to rethink the wisdom of catching drug traffickers in this way.
It’s time to hold our government accountable for making people better, Pat insisted. “As conservatives, we need to admit when something doesn’t work and find something better.”
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