One in 136 Americans in Jail

[Pinch]

Marijuana Policy Project Alert May 25, 2006


Dear Pinch:

The United States prison population is growing by 1,000 people per week, according to new figures just released by the federal government.

But the Marijuana Policy Project is fighting back. If you have three minutes, please watch this national TV interview about the benefits of taxing and regulating marijuana similarly to alcohol.

Almost 2.2 million people — or one in every 136 U.S. residents — are behind bars.

In fact, the U.S. has more people in prison for drugs than all Western European counties have in prison for all crimes.

To say this is an outrage would be an understatement. But there's more ...

The incarceration rate of black men in the U.S. is now higher than it ever was during Apartheid in South Africa.

Indeed, almost 12% of black men between the ages of 25 and 29 are currently in prison or jail in the U.S. And, in our nation's capital, fully half of all black men between the ages of 18 and 35 are in jail or otherwise caught up in the criminal justice system.

So what’s the solution? In part, we should stop arresting more than 700,000 people annually for marijuana and putting many thousands of them in jail.

You can make a difference right now by helping MPP pass our ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Nevada. Please visit www.RegulateMarijuana.org to learn about our landmark campaign ... and then please donate what you can to help make history on Election Day this November.

If a simple majority of voters passes our initiative on November 7, Nevada’s marijuana policies wouldn’t just be the best in the nation — they would be the best in the world. (Even in Holland, which is known for its tolerant marijuana laws, the cultivation of marijuana is illegal.)

But to win, we need you on our side. Would you please stand with us in this fight? I want to thank you for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.