Jail and Drugs

This week we have studied both drugs as well as prisons. These may seem like two separate subjects, but I have come to realize that they are very much related. In both the article, Court 302, and Morgan Spurlock's experience in jail in an episode of 30 Days, it is evident that the majority of crimes are drug-related. However, the interesting thing is that most of the people locked up for drug-related crimes are minorities and are poor. We all know that plenty of white rich people do some hard-core drugs but it doesn't appear that they really are punished for it. This goes back to the Sanits and Roughnecks, rich white people aren't punished because they are perceived to be upstanding citizens and if they do mess up, they aren't trouble makers, they just "made a mistake". And if they do by chance get caught, it's a totally different story. Take Lindsay Lohan for example, I can't even count the number of times she has been arrested for drug or alcohol related crimes and somehow she always gets away with miniscule sentences and she gets to go to rehab centers that are probably more like luxury resorts. These people in prison; however, need rehab the most because it's impossible for them to break the cycle without it. Often times, inmates just end up back in jail after they are released. They need help, but our country isn't willing to pay for that.