“The cops, they get federal funding by the number of arrests they make—to get the money, you need the numbers,” he explained, alluding to, among other things, asset-forfeiture laws that allow police departments to keep a hefty portion of cash and other resources seized during drug busts. “It’s a commercial enterprise,” he went on, citing a view shared by many legal scholars and policy critics. “That’s how they pay for their vans, for their prosecutors—they get money from the war on drugs. They put zero dent in the supply."

There would be an outcry in this country if it were reported that Chinese, or Russian, law enforcement agencies were using Juveniles to bait dangerous criminals. Given the draconian drug laws, the cops have an enormous amount of leverage to bring to bear on these young offenders. Who typically enter into these high-risk agreements without the benefit of legal counsel, and frequently end up murdered. This is a national disgrace.