3 Pros and 3 Cons of Decriminalizing Substance Abuse: A Balanced Perspective

Jamie Hairston
4 min readJun 12, 2024

Substance abuse and its criminalization have been topics of intense debate across prison reform conversations. While some argue that decriminalization could lead to significant social and economic benefits, others fear it may exacerbate the problem.

Pros of Decriminalization

Reduction in Incarceration Rates

Decriminalizing substance abuse can significantly reduce the number of individuals incarcerated for…

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Jamie Hairston

Jamie is a former addiction counselor who now writes fiction about substance abuse and mental health issues.