The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Police arrest more people for marijuana use than for all violent crimes — combined

October 12, 2016 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
(European Pressphoto Agency)

On any given day in the United States, at least 137,000 people sit behind bars on simple drug-possession charges, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch.

Nearly two-thirds of them are in local jails. The report says that most of these jailed inmates have not been convicted of any crime: They're sitting in a cell, awaiting a day in court, an appearance that may be months or even years off, because they can't afford to post bail.