It has become apparent that American society places a heavy emphasis on the use of the prison system, demonstrated by the United States producing more incarcerated prisoners than any other country. Although the United States only accounts for 5 percent of the total global population, it has nearly a quarter of the world’s prisoners, which begs the question of how many incarcerated individuals actually deserve to be in prison.

For certain crimes, like nonviolent drug offenses, the penalties are overly harsh. For instance, first-time drug possession in Kentucky can land the offender in jail for up to 10 years, along with a $20,000 fine. The sentences for using drugs, notably marijuana, are particularly absurd, given their nature. Marijuana is significantly less harmful to the body than cigarettes and alcohol, which are legal drugs. Historically speaking, the primary reason marijuana is designated as a Schedule I drug — with cocaine and methamphetamine being a less severe Schedule II — pertains to Richard Nixon’s presidency. Nixon denied scientific evidence that could have led to the decriminalization of marijuana and falsely claimed that marijuana was more dangerous than methamphetamine. In spite of the facts regarding the politics of marijuana criminalization, the U.S. prison system prioritizes incarceration over both rehabilitation programs and drug education, leaving millions of people incarcerated from the overcriminalization of drugs.

The American public must realize that not only do rehabilitation programs cost less than incarceration, but also they give people with drug charges an opportunity to change their behavior. Through rehabilitation programs, these former offenders can make contributions to society, rather than remain a burden on the economy. The New York Times surveyed 40 states in 2013 and found that “the annual average taxpayer cost was $31,286 per inmate.” Rehabilitative systems have already been implemented with successful results in Scandinavian countries. These more relaxed systems result in fewer incarcerated individuals, a more educated inmate population and lowered crime rates.

With rising debates about the effects of the War on Drugs and marijuana legalization, Americans need to effectively educate themselves about drugs and the penalties for using them. Organizations such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Drug Policy Alliance have worked tirelessly to provide this necessary education and reform archaic drug policies. The NYU chapter of SSDP — which also advocates for protection of civil and privacy rights that were compromised in the drug war — has made a noteworthy effort to teach students on campus about these issues. Their efforts have resulted in the implementation of the Good Samaritan policy. By educating the masses about drug sentences and allowing former inmates to contribute to society, Americans can make a substantive economic investment and engage the productivity of the American populace.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Oct. 2 print edition. E-mail Ryan Najjar at [email protected].