Non-Violent Drug Convicts Seeking Avaialble Relief These Days
All wars result in casualties. The War on Drugs is no different. Those convicted of drug offenses are not always thought of as being victims. After all, they sold, used or possessed the illegal substances right?
Yet, society is beginning to wonder if non-violent drug felons deserve the harsh penalties required to prosecute this ongoing battle. There are those doing life sentences for possession, for example.
Attitudes are slowly changing. There are those working to create ways to reduce long sentences for drug crimes. It is up to defendants, convicts and inmates to speak with a drug defense lawyer for help on finding a way to get their lives back on track.
Is the War on Drugs Unfair?
This question lies at the heart of the matter. Originally, the goal was to protect society from the ravages of drug abuse. However, sending non-violent offenders to dangerous prisons for long stretches does not seem to make sense to many people these days. The belief is that these men and women often return to society with no signs of rehabilitation. Some are even more dangerous having survived the rough-and-tumble world of prison life.
Furthermore, there is the overwhelming racial disparity in drug charges. For example, despite being 14 percent of the drug using population, African-Americans comprise 37 percent of those arrested for drugs.
For these reasons, and more, the public and politicians have begun reconsidering the War on Drugs.
Get Charges Reduced or Dropped
Those facing or convicted of nonviolent drug charges have possibilities for relief open to them. Some states have begun providing temporary amnesty programs. One state passed Proposition 47 that allows drug felons to request a reduction of the charges to misdemeanors. Inmates can get out of jail, convicts can now get jobs closed to felons and those facing charges can now rest easy that they will probably not have to go to prison.
Even the federal government has gotten onboard, with the Executive Branch granting pardons to some serving mandatory sentences on drug charges.
Drug convicts unable to avail themselves of Prop 47 relief or request a federal pardon will probably want to speak with a criminal defense attorney about an expungement. After a man or woman has completed their sentence, most states will expunge, wipe clean or seal, the record to allow the individual to get on with as normal a life as possible. In this present climate of increasing compassion for those caught up in the War on Drugs, it behooves those burdened by the stigma of a felony conviction to ask for an expungement.
Find a Criminal Lawyer Today
It is always best to consult with a criminal defense lawyer when asking for drug charge relief. The attorney will know the latest rules on filing such a request, so these people can put the past truly behind.
