Pubdate: Mon, 21 Aug 2000
Source: Time Magazine (US)
Copyright: 2000 Time Inc.
Contact:  (212) 522-8949
Address: Time Letters, Time & Life Bldg., Rockefeller Center, NY, NY 10020
Website: http://www.time.com/
Author: Vincent Schiraldi

DRUG-LAW OVERKILL?

I was disappointed by the way you trivialized the drug war as a key issue
before the "shadow conventions" organized by Arianna Huffington [NATION,
July 31]. Since 1980, while the number of violent offenders sent to prison
has doubled, the number of drug offenders imprisoned has increased
elevenfold. In 1998, 1.5 million people were arrested for drug offenses.
More than half a million of those arrests were for marijuana possession.
Plenty of people other than Huffington care about this issue.

Vincent Schiraldi, Director
Justice Policy Institute
Washington
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