Mass Incarceration in The United States

One out of every 5 adults in the United States is Incarcerated.

Approximately 74% of those are Black or Hispanic.

Mandatory sentences MUST be abolished.

Mass incarceration is institutionalized racism and an unacceptable violation of the civil rights of minorities in the United States.

The United States as less than 5% of the world’s population yet, houses 25% of the world’s prison population.

Many are imprisoned on non-violent offences.

We must end the drug war that is unfairly targeting minorities and those in poverty.

Take action-

https://secure2.convio.net/dpa/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1247

This hurts minorities and those affected by poverty.

This hurts families and children.

We cannot remain silent.

This has to stop.

The unintended consequences of being “tough on crime”

The graph in this article horrifies me.

This is what happens when doctors abandon patients

It can happen to anybody……break the stigma!!

All Things Chronic

http://www.pharmaciststeve.com/?p=9929

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/FBI-Agent-Charged-With-Falsifying-Records-Selling-Stolen-Drugs-297022681.html

Fueled by an addiction to prescription painkillers, Lowry abused heroin from his own drug investigations and in the process botched dozens of cases involving suspected drug traffickers in multiple states, according to details that emerged on Friday, March 20.

The accusations against Lowry, 33, caused federal prosecutors to dismiss charges against at least 28 defendants in drug cases and notify 150 more that Lowry had participated in investigations targeting them, according to charging documents…

Attorney Robert Bonsib said in a statement that in each of 20 incidents involving evidence tampering, Lowry removed small amounts of heroin from evidence packages to self-medicate a long-standing health issue known as ulcerative colitis.

One of Lowry’s doctors had prescribed him powerful pain medications without warning him of how addictive they were, Bonsib said. When his doctor left the practice without notice, Lowry tried to kick the addiction but it was “overpowering” and…

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The Failure of the War on Drugs- Understanding Addiction

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067

I have suspected for a long time that the punitive and isolating treatment of addicts has done more harm than good in fighting addiction.  The tough love, put them in jail instead of treatment is not working and only further isolates the addict.  Having a police record only makes the difficult road to overcoming addiction more difficult, if not impossible.  Treatment centers focus on shame as a way of overcoming addiction when, it is love, support and acceptance that are the things that really put someone on the road to true recovery.

We, as a society, need to change the way we view the disease of addiction and addicts.  What we are doing now is clearly not working.

Dying To Be Free

Excellent article about the inadequate and antiquated treatments for people suffering from the disease of addiction. Things need to change.

All Things Chronic

There’s A Treatment For Heroin Addiction That Actually Works.Why Aren’t We Using It?

http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/dying-to-be-free-heroin-treatment

The last image we have of Patrick Cagey is of his first moments as a free man. He has just walked out of a 30-day drug treatment center in Georgetown, Kentucky, dressed in gym clothes and carrying a Nike duffel bag…

He had been a dominant wrestler in high school… (Thinking about you, Cameron.)

(I’m also thinking about how sports and athletics can injure and maim kids before they even get the chance to become adults.)

In the months before Patrick’s death, Sydney Pangallo, 23, a recent Recovery Works alumna, suffered a fatal overdose. Dan Kerwin, 23, attended a Recovery Works program in the spring, and his sister found him dead of an overdose during the July 4th weekend. Tabatha Roland, 24, suffered a fatal overdose in April — one week after graduating…

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