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New York City police officers stop to observe two young people, who were not selling drugs but were hanging out on a known drug corner in the Bronx in the 1980s.

War on Drugs

Stephen Shames/Polaris
Q&A
The Untold Story of How Crack Shaped the Justice System
In a new book, a journalist wrestles with how lessons from America’s response to crack resonate in the opioid era.
Donovan X. Ramsey, a Black man with short hair, wears a white shirt, vest and green pants, and stands in front of a newsstand.
Feature March 24
How Chicago Got Its Gun Laws
It’s nearly impossible to separate modern-day gun laws from race.
By
An officer inspects one of the two long guns on a table.
Feature March 23
5 Things to Know About the Failed War on Gun Violence
Gun possession arrests are a major policing tactic in the fight against gun violence. Here’s how that plays out.
By and
A photo collage displays images of side profiles of police officers, an individual being detained, ripped pages of a map of Chicago and a diagram of a gun.
Feature March 23
The War on Gun Violence Has Failed. And Black Men Are Paying the Price.
In Chicago and elsewhere, gun possession arrests are rising as shootings go unsolved.
By and
Left, a gravesite with a cross and decorated with flowers on a sunny day with blue skies; right: a White woman with medium-length brown hair wearing an orange shirt and leaning against a brown wall.
Inside Story March 2
Drug Addiction and the Paths to Prison
We learn how prosecutors can turn one of the darkest days in a mother’s life into a prison term, and hear Tarra Simmons’ journey from behind bars to writing laws.
By and
President Joe Biden, a white male in a navy blue suit, delivering a speech at a podium with the seal of the President of the United States.
Closing Argument October 15, 2022
Don’t Expect Mass Prison Releases From Biden’s Marijuana Clemency
The president’s mass pardon may signal a shift in the federal approach to cannabis, but it won’t let anyone out of prison.
By
On May 4, 2021, President Joe Biden extended class-wide scheduling of fentanyl analogues through October, making it easier to go after low-level drug dealers. Critics say it will disproportionately affect communities of color.
The Lowdown June 16, 2021
Biden Could Have Taken the War on Drugs Down a Notch. He Didn’t.
A little-noticed law could make it easier to punish people for low-level drug crimes — and put them in prison for longer with less proof.
By
An election worker sorted submitted ballots at the Multnomah County, Oregon, elections office on Nov. 2.
Analysis November 11, 2020
Will Drug Legalization Leave Black People Behind?
Even in states that have legalized or decriminalized marijuana possession, Black people are still more likely to be arrested for it than White people. These organizers are working to change that.
By and
Feature September 24, 2019
Detained
How the United States created the largest immigrant detention system in the world.
By
New York City police officers stop to observe two young people, who were not selling drugs but were hanging out on a known drug corner in the Bronx in the 1980s.
Commentary August 26, 2018
Three Strikes Didn’t Work. It’s Time to Pay Reparations
Black and brown men paid the price for supplying what the recreational drug market demanded: cocaine and weed.
By Juleyka Lantigua Williams
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