Drug Reform in Colorado: Backing Away From the War on Drugs?

• In Event: Controversial Legislation and the Courts

Abstract

For the past several decades, the War on Drugs has led to harsh punishment policies for drug users and dealers. In the past several years, Colorado has passed legislation favoring treatment over punishment for possession offenses. The General Assembly also took drug crimes out of the standard sentencing grid, creating a separate drug grid with different sentencing ranges and parole terms. Both of these proposals arose from the work of the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice. I draw on public meetings of this group to analyze the arguments used by stakeholders about the changes. I also analyze how substantial the changes are for various types of offenders and place the conversation in the broader context of U.S. drug policy.

Author

• Shelby Ann McKinzey, University of Colorado, Boulder