The Drug & Criminal Justice Policy Forum

The global illicit drug trade exists on the order of half a trillion dollars a year while an estimated 250 million people use illicit drugs. Drug offenses in the US and UK are at record levels: ten million Americans are presently in the US Criminal Justice system, more than any other society, while 2.4 million people are employed keeping them there, more than Wal-Mart and McDonald's combined, America's two largest private employers. This system consumes $212 billion a year, and has spent over 1 Trillion since its inception, yet still there is no notable decrease in either usage or supply. It begs the question: Is the war on drugs working? Edited by Charles Shaw and supported by the Tedworth Trust , the openDemocracy Drug & Criminal Justice Policy Forum will frame the stories of drug policy and criminal justice reform, and bring the human arguments into the policy agenda. From the street corner to the poppy field, we will present an ongoing dialogue that focuses on the various issues regarding prohibition and crafting a saner international drug & criminal justice policy, and more importantly, culture.

The Exile Nation Project - Interview with Steve Costello

Charles Shaw 28 November 2011
From the time he was a young boy, Steve Costello knew he was destined for a life of crime. A committed gang member, he had already been to prison by the time he became a man, and was rapidly approaching the point of no return. In this riveting interview, Steve recounts his story, and the miraculous circumstances that allowed him to walk away from crime and start his life over again.

oD Drug Policy Forum: Front Line Report - Week of November 24th 2011

Juliana Willars and Charles Shaw 28 November 2011
While governments around the globe debate on which direction to go in revising drug policy, the American military struggles to deal with record numbers of suicide among service personnel afflicted with PTSD. Many of those suffering from the disorder engage in substance abuse. The stigma and legal ramifications of using illicit drugs remains significant, despite the fact that pharmaceuticals can be just as problematic and dangerous as street drugs. ~jw

The Exile Nation Project - Interview with Stephen Dubov

Charles Shaw 21 November 2011
In 1987 college professor and successful San Francisco sculptor Stephen Dubov was sentenced in US Federal court to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the possession of 13 kilos of cocaine. Dubov claimed he was innocent, and had been set up. What follows is the awe-inspiring story of how he ended up with a life sentence, and how, over the course of the next 20 years, he adapted to his circumstances, and slowly proved his case, eventually winning his freedom.

oD Drug Policy Forum: Front Line Report - Week of November 16th 2011

Juliana Willars and Charles Shaw 16 November 2011
On behalf of Charles Shaw and myself, I'd like to welcome you to the latest installment of the Drug Policy Forum. We deeply appreciate your patience during the last month, and look forward to resuming regular reports. We're shifting the editorial direction slightly, continuing to focus on developments in international public policy, as well as the cultural implications and personal stories of those in the front lines of the War on Drugs. The punitive cost to entire communities, as well as individuals, is enormous. Governments with constrained budgets continue to spend freely on prohibition policies that neither curtail illicit use nor address the deeper issues of addiction or public health. ~jw

The Exile Nation Project - Interview with Judge Jim Gray

Charles Shaw 9 November 2011
In 1992 Judge James P. Gray of the California Superior Court was the first sitting judge to come out against the War on Drugs in a televised press conference.

The Exile Nation Project - Interview with Sanho Tree

Charles Shaw 9 November 2011
In this fascinating and detailed interview the Institute for Policy Studies' Sanho Tree gives us the history of the "Drug" trade, the evolution of the Drug War, and the present day consequences of these policies.

The Exile Nation Project - Interview with Mark Kleiman, Ph.D

Charles Shaw 9 November 2011
The outspoken and controversial author, UCLA Professor and former Justice Department official gives his take on the origins of the American incarceration crisis.

How drug legalisation could save Britain's economy

Stuart Rodger 27 October 2011
Legalising drugs in the UK could help solve the economic crisis while decreasing addiction. Why isn't the policy going ahead? Because it would be political suicide.

A Glimpse of the World after the War on Drugs

Charles Shaw and Cara Lavan 4 October 2011

Report and videos from the recent openDemocracy symposium, "After the War on Drugs: Envisioning a Post-Prohibition World."

oD Drug Policy Forum: Front Line Report - Week of October 2nd 2011

Mark Weiss and Charles Shaw 2 October 2011
Following the successful openDemocracy Conference, ‘After the War on Drugs: Envisioning a Post-Prohibition World’; the Drug Policy Forum is back with a bumper edition and round-up of the last couple of weeks drug policy news. We lead this week with news that rebuffing the Conservative government, the Canadian Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that Vancouver's safe injection site for heroin addicts can stay open.

oD Drug Policy Forum: Front Line Report - Week of September 21st 2011

Mark Weiss 21 September 2011
We lead this weeks Drug Policy Report with encouraging news that theLiberal Democrats have voted to establish a panel to consider decriminalising the use of all drugs ~ MW

The Death Penalty for Drugs – ‘Shared Responsibility and Shared Consequences’

Patrick Gallahue 19 September 2011
For those governments that think the death penalty for drugs is none of their business - think again. Even though the majority of the world’s states have abolished capital punishment for all crimes, and only a tiny minority carry out the death penalty for drugs, it is often foreigners from non-death penalty countries that suffer the ‘ultimate sanction.’

openDemocracy Event: 'After the War on Drugs: Envisioning a Post Prohibition World'

Mark Weiss and Cara Lavan 11 September 2011
openDemocracy and Know Drugs are delighted to invite you to join us for a two-day conference on drug and criminal justice policy featuring some of the US & UK’s most active policy makers, activists and media figures, for an exploration of what a post-prohibition society could look like, and how we might get there in our lifetime ~ CL & MW

oD Drug Policy Forum: Front Line Report - Week of September 11th 2011

Mark Weiss 11 September 2011
We lead this week with an article by Damon Barrett, who argues that drugs and the drug trade are presented in international treaty law at the UN as an existential threat to us - through our children; but goes on to expose the true reality of the war on drugs - that so often it is our children who fall victim to, and are not saved by, this failed strategy ~ MW

oD Drug Policy Forum: Front Line Report - Week of September 3rd 2011

Mark Weiss 3 September 2011
We lead this week with a look at a new Open Society report assessing the Portuguese government's rejection of the 'war on drugs' in 2000, and decriminalization of drug possession and use. What lessons can be learnt from this experience? ~ MW

European debate

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