Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It

James P. Gray is Judge of the Superior Court in Orange County in Southern California. He has served as former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles and as a criminal defense attorney as a member of the JAG Corps in the Navy. In 1998 he made an unsuccessful run for Congress as a Republican against Bob Dornan. Judge Gray has discussed issues of drug policy on more than one hundred radio and TV shows and numerous drug forums around the country.

Preface to Second Edition PART I: Introduction PART II: Our Drug Laws Have Failed 1 Past and Present A Historical Perspective Emergence of the Prison-Industrial Complex 2 Increased Harm to Communities Communities Awash in Illicit Drugs Violence and Corruption Domestic Foreign 3 Erosion of Protections of the Bill of Rights: Where's Paul Revere? 4 Increased Harm to Drug Users Demonization Deterioration of Health 5 Increased Harm for the Future Conspiracy Theories Government Policy: Don't Discuss It! PART III: Options 6 Increased Zero Tolerance 7 Education 8 Drug Treatment Rehabilitation Medicalization Needle Exchange Programs Drug Substitution Programs Drug Maintenance Programs 9 Deprofitization of Drugs Legalization Decriminalization Regulated Distribution 10 Federalism, Not Federalization PART IV: What We Can Do About It Appendix A: Resolution Appendix B: Government Commission Reports and Other Public Inquiries Index