decriminalization

/diːˌkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzˈeɪʃən/

Etymology

From de- + criminalization or decriminalize + -ation.

Why this word is great

DECRIMINALIZATION — [Noun] The act of ceasing to treat an activity or substance as criminal, removing it from criminal penalties without necessarily regulating or legalizing it. From de- ("reverse, remove") + criminalization ("the act of making something criminal"), or decriminalize ("to remove criminal status") + -ation ("action or process"). Unlike "legalization" (which establishes formal approval) or "criminalization" (which enforces punitive control), decriminalization lingers in the twilight—neither embracing nor erasing. It is the downgrade of heroin possession from prison time to a court summons, the tacit allowance of underground needle exchanges, or the bureaucratic sleight-of-hand that transforms a misdemeanor into a footnote. The law, weary of its own excesses, steps back—but does not step away.

noun

  1. The act of making an activity or substance no longer criminalized (no longer a crime, subject to criminal penalties, to perform or possess). (Compare legalization, which often implies regulation.)“the decriminalization of all plant-based psychedelics”
  2. The act of ceasing to treat a person as a criminal, by making their activities legal or no longer subjecting them to the criminal justice system (but instead possibly the mental healthcare system, etc).“Most sex work feminists support either the legalization or the decriminalization of sex workers.”