The agenda for Obama's drug policy
The incoming Obama administration has posted its agenda online at Whitehouse.gov , the website of the White House. Although neither drug policy and criminal justice deserve their own category on the agenda of Obama, several general categories listed do contain references to policies for drugs and crime and provide a strong indication of the leanings of the administration.
But before trying it mentions the agenda, it is worth noting that the agenda does not mention: marijuana. There is not even a word about the illicit drug most consumed in the U.S.. or the nearly 900,000 arrests a year generated by marijuana prohibition. Despite campaign promises of Obama, also referred to medical marijuana or ending the DEA raids against suppliers in California - which does not necessarily mean it will retract. Maybe the question is considered too marginal to include it in the general agenda of national change.
As it happened the first raid on a medical marijuana clinic during the Obama administration this week, reformers are anxiously hoping that this is only the remnants of Bush's work and not a sign of Obama's positions futuro.Algunas can please the reformers , but others leave them less satisfied. The Obama administration wants to reduce inequities in the criminal justice system, but also assumes wholly conventional positions on other issues of drug policy.
But they speak for themselves. Here are the relevant sections of Obama's agenda:
Under Civil Rights:
- Ending racial profiling: President Obama and Vice President Biden prohibit racial profiling on the part of federal law and provide federal incentives to state and municipal police forces prohibit the practice;
- Reduce criminal recidivism by providing ex-offender support: President Obama and Vice President Biden will provide job training and counseling for substance abuse and mental health ex-offenders to be reintegrated successfully into society. Obama and Biden will also create an incentive program to work outside the prison to improve employment rates and job retention among ex-offenders;
- Remove sentencing disparities: President Obama and Vice President Biden believe the disparity between penalties for crack cocaine and powder is bad and should be eliminated completely;
- Expand the use of drug offenses courts: President Obama and Vice President Biden will give first-time nonviolent offenders the opportunity to serve his sentence, as applicable, the type of rehabilitation of drug that has shown to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior;
- Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin implementing a comprehensive national strategy for HIV / AIDS that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce health disparities related to HIV. The President will support common sense approaches, including sex education appropriate to the age that includes information about contraception, combating infection in our prison population through awareness and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. President Obama also has been willing to confront the stigma - linked with homophobia all too often - which is closing in HIV / AIDS.
Under Foreign Policy:
- Afghanistan: Obama and Biden will return to focus U.S. resources on the greatest threat to our security - the resurgence of Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They increase the number of our troops in Afghanistan, press our allies in NATO to do the same and devote more resources to revitalize Afghanistan's economic development. Obama and Biden will demand the Afghan government do more, including cracking down on corruption and smuggling of opium.
Issues under the Field:
- Combat Methamphetamine: Continue the fight to rid our communities of meth and offer support to help addicts heal.
Issues under the City:
- Support local law enforcement: President Obama and Vice President Biden are committed to fully fund the COPS program to put 50,000 police on the street and help address police brutality and accountability issues in local communities. Obama and Biden also favor efforts to encourage young people to enter the profession to police our local stations do not lack personnel because of a shortage of qualified applicants;
- Reduce criminal recidivism by providing ex-offender support: United States faces a prison crisis and post-prison in urban communities. Obama and Biden will create an incentive program to work outside the prison as part of the successful Labor Assistance Society and work to reform correctional systems to break down barriers for ex-offenders find employment.
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