Preckwinkle and McCarthy: Change Drug Laws, Reduce Prison Populations

By aaroncynic in News on Jun 21, 2011 7:20PM

On Friday, about a dozen community action groups rallied at the Thompson Center to call for an end to the failing 40 year U.S. “War on Drugs.” Both Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle attended and both criticized U.S. policies towards drug use.

McCarthy said, “law enforcement has gotten this wrong…If we just lock up a drug dealer, we may be actually causing violence…As long as that demand exists at a location, the supply will show back up.”

Today, Preckwinkle said she’s working with the Cook County Public Defender and other law enforcement to find ways to reduce the prison population in respect to drug charges. CBS News reports Preckwinkle said, “My view - reduce it substantially. If 70 percent of the people are there for nonviolent offenses - either accused or convicted and sentenced to time for nonviolent offenses - this isn’t the best use of our resources.” She also said drugs should be treated as a public health issue.

The statements come on the heels of a report released by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, stating that drug policies should be based on “human rights and public health principles.” The report highlights the devastating consequences 40 years of criminalization of users has had on societies and suggests more “responsible policies and strategies grounded in science, health, security and human rights.” Drug arrests have been increasingly on the rise, encompassing at least 13% of all arrests nationwide.