Protect BIPOC Relatives, Change Drug Policy
It is May 2021 and we continue to stand in solidarity with Black people in these so called United States. This week we honor the touchstone of last years events and the empowering call to liberation that has echoed across the world. Drugs are a common tool in the racist policing and sentencing systems of this country. We continue to stand against the 'War on Drugs' that has been used to violently target families and communities of color.
Currently, we are shifting 100% of the profit from our Fortuna Justice Pin to Drug Policy Alliance
"The drug war drives racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Misguided drug laws and draconian sentencing have produced profoundly unequal outcomes for communities of color. People of color experience discrimination at every stage of the criminal legal system and are more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, convicted, harshly sentenced and saddled with a lifelong criminal record. This is particularly the case for drug law violations. (We advocate for...) Decriminalizing drug possession to remove a major cause of the disproportionate arrest and incarceration of people of color. This would help more people receive drug treatment when appropriate and redirect law enforcement resources to programs that help build healthier communities.
"In the pursuit of drugs, police have been given unchecked power to use aggressive tactics, which in too many instances has led to killings, particularly of Black and Latinx people. Police have purchased expensive surveillance technologies and military equipment, been tasked with patrolling more spaces such as schools, and been empowered to permanently take property from people with only a suspicion of drug-related conduct. Law enforcement agencies consume vast amounts of government funds, and their bloated budgets have long been justified by statistics padded by drug arrests. (We advocate for...) Eliminating policies that result in disproportionate arrest and incarceration rates. This includes changing police practices, rolling back harsh mandatory minimum sentences, and eliminating sentencing disparities.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"For noncitizens, including legal permanent residents, any drug law violation can trigger automatic detention and deportation – often without the possibility of return.⠀People deported for drug law violations are sent back to their countries of origin, where they may no longer have any ties to family or community. They may lack basic survival needs like food, housing and health services, and may face serious threats to their security. They are usually barred from reentering the United States, often for life. The result is thousands of families broken and communities torn apart every year. Irrational and racist logic rooted in the drug war falsely associates Latinx and Black immigrants with drug use and drug activity. As a result, the U.S. has created the largest immigrant exclusion, detention, and deportation structure in the world. (We advocate for...) Adopting pre-plea diversion programs that allow people with minor drug charges to successfully participate in treatment or other programming without having to enter a guilty plea – since a guilty plea is often what triggers federal immigration consequences, including deportation.⠀⠀
"Punishment for a drug law violation is not only meted out by the criminal legal system, but is also perpetuated by policies denying child custody, voting rights, employment, business loans, licensing, student aid, public housing and other public assistance to people with criminal convictions. These exclusions create a permanent second-class status for millions of Americans. Like drug war enforcement itself, they fall disproportionately on people of color. (We advocate for...) Ending policies that permanently exclude people with a drug arrest or conviction from key rights and opportunities. These include barriers to voting, employment, loans, financial aid, child custody, public housing and other public assistance.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"Police training has become increasingly aggressive. Officers have been trained to treat civilians as threats, use disproportionate force, shoot-to-kill, and use dangerous techniques such as choke-holds. Vast numbers of civilians experiencing a mental health crisis or intoxication have been killed by police who may have had little to no training in de-escalation or behavioral crisis intervention. (We Advocate for...) Providing access to wraparound services outside the criminal legal system so that police don’t end up being the only place people can go for help.”*
*Excerpts from these two reports 'Race and the Drug War' & 'Policing and the Drug War' both produced by Drug Policy Alliance⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀