Why drug dealers (non-violent) get more time in prison than sex offenders and murderers?

I agree. Our legal system is based on the prison system and it's inherently unfair. I don't believe in prison for anyone except violent offenders.

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In my opinion the child molester gets less time and has a higher rate of being granted parole because in general the child molester is pro social. They are typically educated, well spoken and usually very charismatic. Within the prison system the are almost never a management problem, you don't see a lot of gang related sex offenders in prisons. Drug dealers are typically young uneducated and not well spoken. It's a lot easier to throw the book at the gang member thug drug dealer then some guy who looks like he could be a banker.

Drug dealers also do not usually go to prison on a first offense, it's a continual thing. There is usually some sort of program or alternative sentencing program that they go to first. In short for the most part the drug dealer has proven to the state that they will not change, prison is the only alternative. After the state is tired of seeing you fail for the third or fouth time, they are going to hammer you, hence the longer sentence.

First off, Im Canadian so I can't really comment on American Law. But, if I was to wax legal, I would imagine that the spirit of the law would require longer sentences for drug dealers due to the nature of their crime.

For example: A child molester, or a murderer (should be careful here, 1st or 2nd degree makes a big difference on sentencing) commit their crimes (as heinous as they might be) and they are over.

A drug dealer addicts others, which has been linked to crime rates increasing as addicts try to fuel their addictions, resulting in a lawless environment where things like murders can happen much more frequently.

If I used a medical analysis, I would say that going after the drug dealer, even if they were "non-violent" themselves, with stiff legal penalties is treating the cause of an illness, where focusing on murders and the like would be more synonymous with treating the symptoms.

Just my two cents

The law makers that came up with "The War On Drugs" conjured up the idea of mandatory sentences for those who violated drug laws. The same law makers that came up with these laws are responsible for the majority of drugs coming into the country and putting them into inner city communities. Is racism involved? You betcha. W talks about no child left behind in the nation's schools, yet by the normal sentences that these pervs get when they are convicted of child molestation, plenty of children are being unprotected and essentially, left behind. Those that have been molested are likely to molest others. There is plenty of evidence to support that statement. So it just continues. A child molester that gets a mandatory sentence has molested numerous children. Both the laws have to change.

And the "non-violent" drug dealer is what, 1 in 50- 1 in 100. Which dealing with drug dealers the amount of people that die because of their dealings. and I mean from Columbia or Mexico to the local dealer. How many people do you think die from start to finish?

Oh and Drug Dealers have proven to repeat their criminal behavior, time after time after time etc.

Because our laws are screwed up. Why would the government punish people more for victimless crimes? The war on drugs....its a twisted, upside down idea.

Because the ACLU doesn't defend drug dealers like they do child molesters.

I think it's a sad state of affairs. The priorities in the US are really messed up.