If the war on drugs has proven to be a failure, why are most governments focused on incarceration instead of rehabilitation?

Question

If the war on drugs has proven to be a failure, why are most governments focused on incarceration instead of rehabilitation?

In: Other

Answer 1

1. Not everyone is convinced the war on drugs has “proven to be a failure.”
2. Many people interpret “tough on crime” to mean “tough on criminals.” That the most appropriate way to deal with crime is to have harsh sentences. Creating criminals in a humane way by trying to “fix” them is seen as being weak on crime.
3. People profit from high incarceration rates and use that money to influence government officials to keep those policies in place.