Originally Posted by u-Bob

Don't blame those building the prisons. Blame those who are putting people who don't belong in prison in prison.

If people want to put drugs into their own bodies, that's their choice. I think they're stupid for doing so, but it's still their choice. No reason to put them in prison.

They're now sending people to prison for buying too many sinus pills, for importing lobsters in the wrong type of container, for speeding, for prostitution, for assisting with euthanasia, for producing video content others consider obscene, for being born in a different geographic location and not having certain types of papers, for growing certain plants, for feeding the homeless without a permit, for refusing to stop selling lemonade without a permit, for dancing in public, for providing free medicals services without a license,...

If memory serves me right, over 85% of all people incarcerated or under some other kind of correctional supervision in the US are so because they committed a victimless crime.

It's simple. No victim, no crime.

Murder, rape, theft, extortion, arson,... Those are crimes. Those things should be dealt with.

Peaceful transaction between individuals are not crimes and people shouldn't be sent to prison for them.