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Abstract: 

Prison sentences for drug offenses contributed significantly to the burgeoning of the incarcerated population in the United States. Between 1990 and 1999, the number of drug offenders in prison grew by more than 100,000, constituting 20% of the total increase in the country’s prison population. Between 1995 and 2003, the number of persons incarcerated for a drug crime accounted for the largest percentage of growth in the nation’s prison population (49%; Harrison & Beck, 2005). At year-end 2005, more than 1.2 million people were incarcerated in state prison— approximately 240,000 of them for drug crimes. Lurigio explains gives a brief history of this phenomenon and explains its impact.

Keywords: mass imprisonment; drug arrests; drug crime

Affiliations:  1: Loyola University, Chicago.