incarcerated went from roughly 300,000 to more than 2 million. By the end of 2007 it rose to more than 7 million American with one in 31 adults being on probation, in prison, or on parole (Alexander 38). The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution states “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized”(Alexander 38). A few years after the drug war was announced the Supreme Court stopped protecting the people against officers, they approved for officers to do random sweeps in high schools, obtained search warrants based only on an anonymous tip, and allowing police departments to keep any cash, homes, and other property that
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Despite the Fourth amendment the Supreme court has allowed officers to legally use a traffic violation as a “pretext”; racially profiling based on the premise that most drug offenses are committed by minorities (Harris 2). White drivers received less police attention which gives off the perception that they commit fewer drug offenses than minorities (Harris 2). In 1995 the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor vehicles issued guidelines for police on “The Common Characteristics of Drug Couriers.” The guidelines instructed officers to be suspicious of rental cars and drivers wearing “lots of gold,” as well as drivers who do not “fit the vehicle” and “ethnic groups associated with drug trade” (Harris 4). In 1914 upon the nation's first announcement of the war on drugs the harrison narcotics tax act was passed, it restricted the sale of opiates and cocaine (Coates 20). In 1994 the mayor of New York at the time, Giuliani and
Despite the Fourth amendment the Supreme court has allowed officers to legally use a traffic violation as a “pretext”; racially profiling based on the premise that most drug offenses are committed by minorities (Harris 2). White drivers received less police attention which gives off the perception that they commit fewer drug offenses than minorities (Harris 2). In 1995 the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor vehicles issued guidelines for police on “The Common Characteristics of Drug Couriers.” The guidelines instructed officers to be suspicious of rental cars and drivers wearing “lots of gold,” as well as drivers who do not “fit the vehicle” and “ethnic groups associated with drug trade” (Harris 4). In 1914 upon the nation's first announcement of the war on drugs the harrison narcotics tax act was passed, it restricted the sale of opiates and cocaine (Coates 20). In 1994 the mayor of New York at the time, Giuliani and