The War on Drugs and its Impact on Colorado's Corrections Agencies

Introduction

The war on drugs in this country depicts a battle for our very survival as a nation. This paper will provide the reader with substantial factual data about the war on drugs and how it has had a negative impact on our correctional organizations in the state of Colorado. Our prison populations have grown consistently over the last several years, due in great part to this nation's battle against criminal elements which flourish through the sale and distribution of illicit drugs. Furthermore, this paper will provide the reader with three viable and workable solutions to alleviate the overcrowding impact the war on drugs has had on our state correctional facilities.

Identifying the source

In order to solve any problem, we must first identify the source of that problem. The overcrowding issues that the state of Colorado correctional facilities are now facing can be directly attribute it to an increased emphasis by our federal and state legislatures to take a strong stand against criminal activity. Over the last several years we have witnessed a trend where the court requires inmates to serve a greater percentage of their sentence than we have seen in the past.

With regard to the war on drugs it is only logical that we first identify the source of illicit drugs that are being sold and distributed in the state of Colorado. According to the DEA" Criminal groups operating from South America smuggle cocaine and heroin into the United States via a variety of routes, including land routes through Mexico, maritime routes along Mexico's east and west coasts, sea routes through the Caribbean, and international air corridors. Furthermore, criminal groups operating from neighboring Mexico smuggle cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and marijuana into the United States. These criminal groups have smuggled heroin and marijuana across the Southwest Border and distributed them throughout the United States since the 1970s (DEA, 2005).