Friend –

Today is day four of ACLU's Systemic Equality Week of Action – and the 50th anniversary of the War on Drugs. So I'll get right to your fourth digital action.

Here's some background: On June 17, 1971, Nixon declared drug abuse "public enemy number one." Since then, long prison sentences and far-reaching civil sanctions have done nothing to reduce rates of drug use or overdose.

Instead, hundreds of billions of dollars have been pumped into law enforcement agencies, which has led to the over-surveillance and incarceration of millions, disproportionately Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people. Nearly half of the people in federal prison currently are in for drug offenses.

That's why today, we are asking you to take action by urging President Biden to use his power of clemency to release people incarcerated in federal prison for drugs.

The fact is, the War on Drugs has failed and Americans on the left and right are ready for it to end. 83% of voters agree it failed and 61% of voters support commuting the sentences of people in prison for drugs, according to a poll released just last week by the ACLU and the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).

Biden himself said during his candidacy that "no one should be incarcerated for drug use alone." The president can get to work on reducing drug incarceration immediately through clemency.

ACLU Supporter, let's use this racist drug war's anniversary to help end it: Send your message to President Biden now.

Thank you for taking action,

Udi Ofer
Pronouns: He, him, his
Deputy National Political Director, ACLU

P.S. The ACLU and DPA just released an agenda on how President Biden can begin ending the War on Drugs – which you can check out in full here. And remember to check your email tomorrow for the last digital action of the week: Supporting H.R. 40 and reparations. Thank you.