I believe that the US government should decrease the severity of a drug offender’s prison sentence. According to an article published by The PEW Charitable Trusts, more than 95,000 federal prisoners are serving time for a drug-related offense. Back in 1980, there were less than 5,000. The increase in inmates imprisoned due to a drug-related offense is due to the change in “drug crime patters and law enforcement practices.” These laws put in place for major players in drug trafficking are now affecting those who serve a minor role and, according to The Pew, have not prevented users from continuing their bad habits after being released. Additionally, the average drug offender spends 30 more months in prison than the average sentence for other
