A. Read the Film Synopsis
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. Filmed in more than twenty states, The House I Live In captures heart-wrenching 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. 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.
“It’d be one thing if it was draconian and it worked. But it’s draconian and it doesn’t work. It just leads to more,” says David Simon, creator of the HBO series, The Wire.
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. Thanks 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.
“If you stand in a federal court, you’re watching poor and uneducated people being fed into a machine like meat to make sausage. It’s just bang, bang, bang, bang. Next!” says journalist Charles Bowden.
But there’s a growing recognition among those on all sides that the war on drugs is a failure. At a time of heightened fiscal instability, the drug war is also seen as economically unsustainable. Beyond its human cost at home, the unprecedented violence in Mexico provides a daily reminder of the war’s immense impact abroad, and America has at last begun to take the first meaningful steps toward reform. At this pivotal moment, the film promotes public awareness of the problem while encouraging new and innovative pathways to domestic drug policy reform.
B. Viewing Questions
Read the questions before beginning the documentary so you know what to look for.
Copy and Paste into a document (Google Docs, Pages, etc.) to answer as we watch.
1. The film introduces you to lots of different people whose lives intersect with the War on Drugs. Which stories stuck out in your mind as you were watching? Which characters did you feel close to, who did you like? Were there any “good guys” or “bad guys” in this film? Which characters and stories surprised you?
2. Think about the story of Anthony Johnson and his family. Who were Anthony’s father’s role models? Who were Anthony’s role models? What challenges does a kid face growing up with an incarcerated parent? Can you explain how the cycle of drug use, drug dealing, and incarceration gets passed down through generations? Think about the way Shanequa Benitez, who grew up in the same housing project as Anthony Johnson, talked about the practical necessity of selling drugs to get by. Why do you think it’s so hard for a kid to break free?
3.
Who were the early drug laws designed to target? When did the “War on
Drugs”
begin officially?
4. The film shows footage of politicians
speaking in favor of harsher drug legislation, even though evidence suggests
that harsh laws don’t help the problem. Why are politicians supporting laws
that don’t work?
5.
How has the drug war changed
the role of law enforcement? How
does the pursuit
of drug crimes bring money into police departments? What negative impact does
this have on non- narcotic police operations? How has the drug war changed the
relationship between police and the community?
6.
Were you surprised by the statistics in the film, i.e. to learn that the US has
the highest prison population in the world? The film talks a lot about what’s
wrong with the system, but it leaves it up to the audience to imagine a
different reality. After watching this film, what would you propose as an
alternative to incarcerating people for addiction and drug-related crimes?
7.
The House I Live In is
a documentary film that makes a provocative statement. Why do you think Eugene
Jarecki made this film? What is the central message and the purpose of the
film? Who is its intended audience? How do you think the filmmaker wants you to
feel after watching?
2. Begin "The House I Live In"
2. Begin "The House I Live In"
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