The issue is we have a bunch of puritan teetotalers who think the best way to "fix" society is to criminalize the parts of society they find morally objectionable.
It doesn't matter that the social sciences have found that rehab works WAY better than prison [1]. It doesn't matter that incarceration is WAY more detrimental both to the individual and society [2]. Nope, sinners need to be punished.
If we want a better society, make drugs legal and send public funds to public rehab rather than private prisons.
Let's leave prison as a last resort for people that are actually dangerous to society; Not your uncle who grew weed in his backyard.
It doesn't matter that the social sciences have found that rehab works WAY better than prison [1]. It doesn't matter that incarceration is WAY more detrimental both to the individual and society [2]. Nope, sinners need to be punished.
If we want a better society, make drugs legal and send public funds to public rehab rather than private prisons.
Let's leave prison as a last resort for people that are actually dangerous to society; Not your uncle who grew weed in his backyard.
[1] https://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug03/rehab
[2] https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/05/13/mentalhealthimp...