&gt; Prisons are filled with poor black drug offenders<p>How is that an example of the justice system not functioning? 80-90% of people think drugs other than marijuana should be illegal. 32% see drug abuse as a &quot;crisis&quot; and another 55% as a &quot;serious problem&quot;: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.people-press.org&#x2F;2014&#x2F;04&#x2F;02&#x2F;americas-new-drug-policy-landscape" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.people-press.org&#x2F;2014&#x2F;04&#x2F;02&#x2F;americas-new-drug-pol...</a>.<p>People thinking drug use is dangerous and making it illegal, and then putting people in jail for trafficking in drugs (which accounts for the vast majority of sentences), is not a failure of the justice system.<p>EDIT: Since people seem confused by certain FUD on this subject. The vast majority of &quot;drug offenders&quot; filling prisons are there for <i>trafficking</i> not <i>possession</i>: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.drugwarfacts.org&#x2F;cms&#x2F;Prisons_and_Drugs" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.drugwarfacts.org&#x2F;cms&#x2F;Prisons_and_Drugs</a> (only 5.3% of federal drug prisoners are serving time for possession; 91.4% are serving time for trafficking). And 80-90% of people support keeping cocaine and heroin illegal: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.huffingtonpost.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;04&#x2F;17&#x2F;drug-legalization-poll_n_5162357.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.huffingtonpost.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;04&#x2F;17&#x2F;drug-legalization-p...</a>.<p>Also account for the time lag between changing public opinion and changes in policy. As recently as 2001, 45% of people polled (and probably a much higher percentage of actual voters, who skew older and more conservative), opposed getting rid of mandatory minimum sentences for <i>non-violent drug crimes</i>.