Many judge the American criminal justice system to have largely failed in its drug enforcement role, and the justice system itself has suffered a loss of community support and internal morale as a consequence. Five principles should guide improvement of drug enforcement, including that drug enforcement be viewed as a preventive activity, whose main goal is reducing drug abuse and related harms, and it should be designed for sustainability. Six more specific proposals are, first, make marijuana enforcement a minor matter for police through decriminalization of possession or outright legalization; second, induce drug users who are under criminal justice supervision to refrain from drug use by imposing appropriate monitoring and graduated sanctions programs; third, expand opioid substitution therapy for heroin- and other opioid-using offenders; fourth, reduce the average severity of sentences for drug offenses, particularly for minor functionaries who are easily replaced; fifth, base sentence length on culpability, danger, and replaceability, not quantity possessed or number of prior convictions; and sixth, reduce prescription drug abuse by policing that reinforces regulatory efforts. Jointly these proposals would provide an evidence-informed approach that should both reduce America’s drug abuse problem and increase the perceived legitimacy of the criminal justice system.

中文翻译：

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更加有效和人道地处理非法毒品

许多人认为美国刑事司法系统在执行毒品方面的作用大为失败，司法系统本身因此失去了社区支持和内部士气。应当以五项原则来指导改善毒品执法，包括将毒品执法视为一项预防活动，其主要目标是减少毒品滥用和相关危害，并应旨在实现可持续性。还有六个更具体的建议，第一，通过将财产合法化或完全合法化，将大麻执法作为警察的小事；第二，通过实施适当的监测和分级制裁方案，诱使受刑事司法监督的吸毒者避免吸毒；第三，扩大对使用海洛因和其他使用阿片类药物的犯罪者的阿片类药物替代治疗；第四，降低对毒品犯罪的平均刑罚严重程度，特别是对于那些容易被取代的轻微工作人员；第五，句子的长度取决于罪责，危险和可替代性，而不是所拥有的数量或先前的定罪次数；第六，通过加强监管力度的治安来减少处方药滥用。这些建议将共同提供一种以证据为依据的方法，既可以减少美国的药物滥用问题，又可以增加刑事司法系统的合法性。通过加强监管力度的治安来减少处方药滥用。这些建议将共同提供一种以证据为依据的方法，既可以减少美国的药物滥用问题，又可以增加刑事司法系统的合法性。通过加强监管力度的治安来减少处方药滥用。这些建议将共同提供一种以证据为依据的方法，既可以减少美国的药物滥用问题，又可以增加刑事司法系统的合法性。