Crack Cocaine Epidemic 1980s-1990s

  • Lack of oversight in private prison's

    Private prisons have a higher rate of violence than public prisons while paying their staff less and having less promotion opportunities leading to a higher turnover rate. Private prisons also make more money if they have more prisoners.
  • Treatment of mentally ill, disabled, pregnant, etc.

    Mentally ill inmates make up 15% to 20% of inmates and are more likely to attempt suicide, nearly 38% of inmates have at last one disability and if not serious enough to be relocated to federal medical center inmates are put in solitary for their protection and prison medical care is subpar. Pregnant women are often to poor medical care, the loss of their child to the child care system or a family member, they are endanger of diseases in prison recent laws prohibit restraining the mother.
  • Field Decisions, Mental Illness, and LGBTQ+

    Officers in the field are required to obey the law and polies of the department often times this requires the officer give up their decision in order to prosecute.
    Mental illness can often appear to be drug related and causes confusion in criminal justice when police aren't trained to identify, and treat them.
    The LQBTQ+ community has a higher rate of substance abuse and mental health issues. Many of the systems in place were not designed with LGBTQ+ people in mind.
  • Bail & Socioeconomic status

    The Bail system disproportionally affects poorer people as those of means can pay while those who cant have to get a bondsman or sell of much of their belongings to fund their bail.
  • Death Penalty Sentencing

    Though becoming less common the death penalty is still used across the U.S. it still overwhelming it affects the poor and African-American communities.
  • Male Vs. Female prisons

    Males make us approximately 93% of the U.S. prison population while Females are about 7%. These numbers would indicate most prisons are male and allows men to be closer to family while for females people would have to travel farther to see them.
  • Medical Issues

    Prisons are more likely to have a higher prestige of high blood pressure, HIV, diabetes, and asthma. Sharanda Jones was unable to take care of her mother who was bound to a wheelchair and unable to attend her funeral.
  • Transgender people in prison

    Transgender people cant be placed independent housing unless there is no other means of keeping them safe. Transgender people are at a higher risk of suicide and to have mental and physical heath issues and drug and alcohol abuse problems.
  • Males guarding Female prisoners

    Males are often assigned to supervise inmate living units, and that Female inmates respond positively to male officers and favor them to female officers, but are still advised by outside groups that they should not be allowed in certain areas unless its emergency.
  • Diversity in recruitment

    Demographic information of criminal justice the U.S. is 60% White, 18% Hispanic, 12% Black, 6% Asian while law enforcement is 62% white, 17% Hispanic, 14% Black.
    Gender wise the U.S. is 51% Male and 49% Female while in policing it's 79% Male and 18% Female.
    Mirroring society allows a department to have a more diverse group of ideas and experiences as well as helping the community see criminal justice as apart of their community instead of separated from it.
  • Period: to

    War on Drugs 1980's-1990's

    The War on Drugs of 1980's and 90's was focused on preventing drug abuse and prosecuting offenders by expanding the governments power and budget as well as lengthening prison sentences.
  • Militarization

    The 1981 Military Cooperation with Law Enforcement Agencies Act allows the U.S. military to work with foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies for counter-drug, civil disturbances, and counter-terrorism operations.
  • Militarization

    In 1982 President George H. W. Bush declared "Drugs are bad, and we're going after them...and we're going to win the War on Drugs." He increased the Federal drug control budget from 5 billion dollars to over 12 billion.
  • Over Policing: Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984

    The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 established the federal sentencing commission, and eliminated parole in the federal prison system. Eliminating parole in the federal system affected Sharanda Jones by forcing her to serve her entire sentence.
  • Over Policing: Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986

    The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 prohibited "Designer Drugs", enacted mandatory minimum sentences for drugs and instituted thw 100:1 crack-to-powder cocaine ratio.
  • Militarization: 1122 Program

    The 1122 Program was passed in the National Defense Authorization Act of 1994 gave the authority to state and local governments to buy equipment through federal procurement channels as long as the equipment is used in counter-drug operations.
  • Militarization: 1033 Program

    The 1033 Program was passed in the National Defense Authorization Act of 1997 permitting the Secretary of Defense to transfer excess DOD property to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.