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The MASSIVE upswing in U.S. incareration rates can be traced back to exactly the point where the "war on drugs" began.  Prison population has quadrupled since 1980, even though violent crime and property crime rates have been declining since the early 1990s.
Why so many in jail?  Because the number of incarcerated drug offenders has increased twelvefold since 1980.  22% of those in Federal and State prisons were convicted on drug charges.
The "three strikes" laws, have turned lots of drug users into permanent (life sentance) correctional residents.  From 2000 to 2005 the % of prisoners over 55 years of age increased 33% while the overall population increased by only 8%. 
While society certainly needs to do something about drug users ... I personally don't think doling out life sentances to 20 year olds who were dumb enough to get addicted to drugs is a particularly efficient or effective strategy.