The war on drugs has become the leading costly issue America faces to date. Government corruption, private prisons that promote slave labor, federal regulations that conflict with some states legalization of cannabis, drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin all issues seen in the film. “Freeway’ Ricky Ross helped begin the crack-cocaine hysteria by creating it and making it available in every street corner. The purpose of this essay is to give my overall opinion of what I got out of the film and to implement material from our class into the essay.
Primary Themes
There are several themes found in this movie; corruption, drug policies, disparities and private prisons. Corruption among the U.S government has long been observed since …show more content…
Inciardi (2008) explains, this makes crack bad to law enforcement is that crack is cheaper, which makes it more of an attractive drug to abuse for people with limited income (p. ). In the attempt to fight against the crack-cocaine epidemic, in 1986 the Anti-Drug Abuse Act was established, which set more mandatory minimum guidelines, including for crack and powder cocaine (Burrington, 2017, lecture 5, slide 6). Come to find out, crack is virtually the same as the powder cocaine. Crack is derived from powder cocaine. Studies show that Physiological and psychotropic effects are identical, Substances are pharmacologically identical and effects on brain chemistry are identical (Coyle, 2002, p. 2). The mandatory minimum drug sentencing was supposed to have the following intended effects; retribution, deterrence, incapacitation by increasing public safety by locking up the drug dealers and violent criminals, elimination of sentencing disparities (as via judicial discretion) and inducement of cooperation meaning Substantial assistance was made; discretion and plea bargaining (Mcbride et al, 2002, p. 322). For the most part, mandatory minimum sentences did not achieve those goals. Some short-term gains, but offset by other long-term consequences. Some of the …show more content…
This film shows the government created the cocaine epidemic because they helped bring it into the U.S from Nicaragua. When the government allowed private security companies to create private prisons, it introduced modern slavery. Although, heroin is an extremely abusable drug, this has not led to the mass hysteria that crack has gotten. Prescription drug abuse is the new “war on drugs” because doctors are handing them out like candy. People have more of a way of getting prescription drugs because of friends that take them or because or other mutual people they know who take prescription drugs. Because of mandatory sentences, prison overcrowding has become a big issue. The fact that Congress decided to get rid of a mandatory sentence, is amazing, but does it give much relief, is a wonder. According to Gotsch (2011),
Passage of the Fair Sentencing Act in 2010 marked the first time in 40 years that Congress eliminated a mandatory minimum sentence. The bill struck the five-year mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of five grams of crack cocaine, the only commonly abused drug to trigger a mandatory
Primary Themes
There are several themes found in this movie; corruption, drug policies, disparities and private prisons. Corruption among the U.S government has long been observed since …show more content…
Inciardi (2008) explains, this makes crack bad to law enforcement is that crack is cheaper, which makes it more of an attractive drug to abuse for people with limited income (p. ). In the attempt to fight against the crack-cocaine epidemic, in 1986 the Anti-Drug Abuse Act was established, which set more mandatory minimum guidelines, including for crack and powder cocaine (Burrington, 2017, lecture 5, slide 6). Come to find out, crack is virtually the same as the powder cocaine. Crack is derived from powder cocaine. Studies show that Physiological and psychotropic effects are identical, Substances are pharmacologically identical and effects on brain chemistry are identical (Coyle, 2002, p. 2). The mandatory minimum drug sentencing was supposed to have the following intended effects; retribution, deterrence, incapacitation by increasing public safety by locking up the drug dealers and violent criminals, elimination of sentencing disparities (as via judicial discretion) and inducement of cooperation meaning Substantial assistance was made; discretion and plea bargaining (Mcbride et al, 2002, p. 322). For the most part, mandatory minimum sentences did not achieve those goals. Some short-term gains, but offset by other long-term consequences. Some of the …show more content…
This film shows the government created the cocaine epidemic because they helped bring it into the U.S from Nicaragua. When the government allowed private security companies to create private prisons, it introduced modern slavery. Although, heroin is an extremely abusable drug, this has not led to the mass hysteria that crack has gotten. Prescription drug abuse is the new “war on drugs” because doctors are handing them out like candy. People have more of a way of getting prescription drugs because of friends that take them or because or other mutual people they know who take prescription drugs. Because of mandatory sentences, prison overcrowding has become a big issue. The fact that Congress decided to get rid of a mandatory sentence, is amazing, but does it give much relief, is a wonder. According to Gotsch (2011),
Passage of the Fair Sentencing Act in 2010 marked the first time in 40 years that Congress eliminated a mandatory minimum sentence. The bill struck the five-year mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of five grams of crack cocaine, the only commonly abused drug to trigger a mandatory