For the past 40 years, the war on drugs has resulted in more than 45 million arrests, $1 trillion dollars in government spending, and America’s role as the world’s largest jailer. Yet for all that, drugs are cheaper, purer, and more available than ever.
The Crawford-Marion ADAMH board, in partnership with the Marion County Court of Common Pleas and Adult Probation, Marion Municipal Court, Marion County Family Court and Marion Correctional Institution will show the documentary film The House I Live In on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 6:30pm. Morrill Hall at the Ohio State University campus in Marion will be the site of the screening.
The documentary, a Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winning documentary, was filmed in more than twenty states and captures the stories of those on the front lines — from the dealer to the grieving mother, the narcotics officer to the senator, the inmate to the federal judge — and offers a penetrating look at the profound human rights implications of America’s longest war.
“The film recognizes drug abuse as a matter of public health, and investigates the tragic errors and shortcomings that have resulted from framing it as an issue for law enforcement,” said Jody Demo-Hodgins of ADAMH. :It also examines how political and financial corruption has fueled the war on drugs, despite persistent evidence of its moral, economic, and practical failures.”
“The drug war in America has helped establish the largest prison-industrial system in the world, contributing to the incarceration of 2.3 million men and women and is responsible for untold collateral damage to the lives of countless individuals and families, with a particularly destructive impact on black America,” said Demo-Hodgins.
The film shows that instead of questioning a campaign of such epic cost and failure, those in public office generally advocate for harsher penalties for drug offenses, lest they be perceived as soft on crime. Due to mandatory minimum sentencing, a small offense can put a nonviolent offender behind bars for decades — or even life. Many say these prisoners are paying for fear instead of paying for their crime.
This program is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Contact ADAMH at 387-8531 should you have questions.
More information on the film can be found at www.thehouseilivein.org.
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