Since the establishment of the war on drugs in 1971, by President Nixon, incarceration rates have drastically increased throughout the United States. In the late 1960’s, heroin and marijuana use was on the rise among the young population, which brought attention to the issue. The “War on Drugs” was formed to essentially crackdown on drugs. The government aggressively went after drug dealers and users alike by placing mandatory minimums, with harsher penalties, for drug charges. In addition, more money was allocated for law enforcement, and police presence was increased on the streets. The primary goal of this policy was to “eliminate some of the inconsistencies in the present regulation of drugs” (Jakubiec, Kilcer, and Sager) (David et al.
