The criminal justice system provides several alternative options for managing drug offenders. These options include pre-arrest diversion, pre-trial diversion, pre-trial release, probation, split sentencing, warn release, incarceration, and parole release. These alternative options provide a graduated scale of punishment including incarceration, rehabilitation, and specific deterrence. However, the increased drug problem in the United States has led to new drug offense sentencing policies. Rehabilitation is not favored, and current policies favor uniform sentencing and retribution. Drug law sentencing practices and policies are discussed in detail. Recommendations for revising drug offense sentencing policies to include penal values are proposed. 43 references. (Author abstract modified)