Evers Dead Wrong On Pot Convictions
Less than one percent of male inmates jailed for drug possession.
Tony Evers. Photo by Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
As reported Monday in the Journal Sentinel, Governor Evers has justified his proposal to decriminalize marijuana as follows:
“Bottom line is we’re spending too much money prosecuting and incarcerating people and often people of color for non-violent crimes related to possessing small amounts of marijuana.”
Don’t hold your breath, so to speak, waiting for evidence that “possessing small amounts of marijuana” has anything to do with the incarceration rate.
More than 20 years ago I studied a representative random sample of state prison inmates from Milwaukee County. The most recent offense of seven percent of the inmates was drug related. As detailed in the report, none of the offenses were for possession. All involved possession with intent to deliver or actual delivery of drugs. Many offenders were armed. Some were in school zones.
Current data demonstrate that little has changed. The new LFB report shows that nearly eight percent of current inmates had convictions for possession with intent to deliver or manufacturing and delivery.
As for who really goes to prison, a 2018 LFB report states: “The predominant offenses by [male inmates] are sexual offenses, murder/homicide, robbery, assaults, and burglary. The most common by women are murder/homicide, theft, assault, operating while intoxicated, and robbery.”
Yet another 2018 report, from the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum, addresses the “logic” employed by Evers. Under the heading “Serious Crimes, Serious Time,” WPF describes “the rising share of inmates serving time for violent crimes. These numbers rose from 59.4% of inmates in 2006 to 66.0% in 2017.” Directly addressing the assumption that “most inmates are nonviolent drug offenders who do not require incarceration,” WPF matter-of-factly observes that “corrections data do not appear to bear that out.”
More about the Legalizing of Marijuana
- Data Wonk: Will State Move to Legalize Marijuana? - Bruce Thompson - Sep 25th, 2024
- Data Wonk: Should Wisconsin Legalize Marijuana? - Bruce Thompson - Sep 18th, 2024
- Indigenous-Led Campaign Launches to Support Medical Marijuana - Isiah Holmes - Sep 4th, 2024
- How Delta-8 Impacts Marijuana Debate in Wisconsin - Richelle Wilson - Jun 18th, 2024
- Milwaukee Officials Praise Rescheduling of Cannabis by Biden - Isiah Holmes - May 20th, 2024
- What Will Wisconsin Do Now That Feds Are Moving to Ease Marijuana Restrictions? - Rich Kremer - May 2nd, 2024
- A Better Wisconsin Together Renews Call for Cannabis Legalization - A Better Wisconsin Together - Apr 20th, 2024
- Republicans’ Medical Marijuana Bill Is Likely Dead - Baylor Spears - Feb 18th, 2024
- The State of Politics: Why GOP Divided on Medical Marijuana - Steven Walters - Jan 15th, 2024
- Bill Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession Under 14 Grams - Rich Kremer - Jan 15th, 2024
Read more about Legalizing of Marijuana here
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What Mitchell doesn’t consider is the connection between the criminalization of addiction disorders and crimes such as robbery and burglary addicts commit to afford their addictions. When we decriminalize the possession of marijuana, we break that connection. His statistics fail to illuminate the overwhelming racial disparities in the incarceration of peoples of color for non-violent drug offenses.
Finally, Mitchell fails to understand how this small change can have a snowball affect on communities of color where felony convictions of non-violent drug offenses sentences some to a lifetime of unemployment and poverty or worse, forces them to turn to the underground economy aka a life of crime, to survive.
So by Mr. Mitchell logic since this law only concerns a small percent of the population don’t do it? He admits that it will keep some people who commit non-violent crimes related to possessing small amounts of marijuana out of prison and not condemn them to a felony conviction that they will have to carry around the rest of their lives. So why not do it? It helps people, doesn’t hurt anyone and can save money. Not allowing the law is the classic conservative party’s agenda; keep as many people of color in prison or more importantly not voting by any means possible. Every vote they can suppress is a win for them. Not passing this law is just wrong, unchristian and done by the party claiming family values. Tearing families apart by putting siblings and parents in prison, keeping them from having felonies and limiting their ability to participate more in society is wrong! Thirty-three states have adjusted or even totally legalized marijuanas yet some of our conservative legislators still want to continue to lock people up for smoking pot. I logically can not think of any reason to oppose this law except for outdated, racist, discriminatory values many people and politicians of this state harbor against anyone less fortunate or not white.