Drug Crime

U.S. Faces Fight At Intersection Of Crime And Extremism

Tom Bowman — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:20:00 +0000

A suspected drug kingpin from the tiny West African nation of Guinea-Bissau was captured on the high seas by agents from the U.S.

Report: 3 Out Of 4 Found With Drugs By Border Patrol Are U.S. Citizens

Eyder Peralta — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:47:00 +0000

The Center for Investigative Reporting has a report today that shatters some preconceived notions: A review of records from the Border Patrol, shows that three out of four people the patrol found carrying drugs were United States citizens.

CIR reports this finding goes against the many press releases issued by the agency highlighting Mexican drug smugglers.

The organization reports:

"Looked at another way, when the immigration status is known, 4 out of 5 busts – which may include multiple people

A Real-Life 'Jump Street' In Tennessee

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:35:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep.

Police Deputy Donna Rogan relived her high school years. She went undercover pretending to be a transfer student in Carter County, Tennessee. The Elizabethton Star reports it was called Operation Jump Street, after the old TV show. Now, we do not know Ms. Rogan's grades or which boys asked her out. But we do know she played a student convincingly enough to slip into the local drug culture, gathering information leading to 14 arrests.

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

The Drug Laws That Changed How We Punish

Brian Mann — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:05:00 +0000

The United States puts more people behind bars than any other country, five times as many per capita compared with Britain or Spain.

It wasn't always like this. Half a century ago, relatively few people were locked up, and those inmates generally served short sentences. But 40 years ago, New York passed strict sentencing guidelines known as the "Rockefeller drug laws" — after their champion, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller — that put even low-level criminals behind bars for decades.

Those tough-on-crime policies became the new normal across the country.

Decades On, Stiff Drug Sentence Leaves A Life 'Dismantled'

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:13:00 +0000

There are roughly half a million people behind bars for nonviolent drug crimes in America. But no one really knows how many people have been sentenced to long prison bids since the laws known as Rockefeller drug laws first passed 40 years ago.

What's clear is that tough sentencing laws, even for low-level drug dealers and addicts, shaped a generation of young men, especially black and Hispanic men.

Men like George Prendes, now 59.