Neal R. Peirce

As part of the war on drugs that began in the 1970s, many states began requiring drug abusers to serve harsh, mandatory prison terms. Neal R. Peirce argues in the following viewpoint that the continued incarceration of nonviolent drug abusers—a group that makes up the majority of prisoners—has little effect on the crime rate. According to Peirce, the crime rate is dropping because of better policing, strict gun control laws, and a good economy that provides alternatives to crime. In addition, funding drug treatment and other crime prevention programs would reduce the crime rate even further. Peirce is a syndicated columnist.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does the U.S. incarceration rate compare to that of other countries, according to the author...