Acknowledgment of the harm done to communities of color affected by punitive drug policies is the first step towards reparations.
To atone for the harms caused by failed drug war policies, those responsible must accept their role in perpetuating cycles of punishment in communities of color.
Our campaign for reparative justice is not one in which we demand a symbolic resolution. We are working with advocates and others directly impacted by drug war policies to create reforms that are non-punitive and health oriented.
As New York retreats from harmful and ineffective drug war policies, shifting to a public health approach to drug use, victims of the retributive approach to drug use still suffer the consequences. Critics of the war on drugs often cite the dramatic increase of New York’s prison population, and the economic implications of maintaining mass incarceration as the justification for curtailing the war on drugs. While reducing the prison population is vital, mass incarceration is not the singular ramification of drug war policies. A number of health and social policies developed from the drug war ethos that limit drug users’ access to public assistance, health benefits, housing and educational opportunities. A reparative justice framework for drug policy reform will consider the totality of ways in which substance use is criminalized beyond the justice system. To move beyond the drug war ethos, we must critically examine and reform all laws that apply punitive consequences for drug use.
To end the war on drugs in New York, we must explore all the ways in which drug use is punished. To do this, we are pulling together a team of advocates to explore the legislative, administrative and cultural challenges that create unnecessary hardships for people who use or have used drugs.
We will use their insight to create a comprehensive framework for exiting the drug war in New York State.
Through the Drug Policy Alliance's Campaign for Reparative Justice we will Acknowledge, Act and Atone for the War on Drugs in New York State.
