And that’s the last thing you need to know about the way criminalization operates: prosecutors target those they think most Americans won’t care about. Pregnant women accused of using drugs top that list. This is, unfortunately, a smart tactic. Law enforcement deliberately brings cases against people they believe are potentially unsympathetic so they can test out criminalization methods without drawing too much attention or outrage. If Americans think that those being arrested somehow “deserve” it, they’ll be much less likely to cause a fuss—and much less likely to think it could happen to
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