Pubdate: Thu, 02 Nov 2000
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2000 The New York Times Company
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Section: Opinion
Author: Robert Gangi

OUTDATED DRUG LAWS

To the Editor:

It is encouraging that 80 percent of New York's Senate and Assembly 
candidates who responded to a recent survey support changing the 1973 
Rockefeller drug laws (news article, Oct. 31).

Relatively few of the approximately 22,000 narcotics offenders in state 
prison today are either drug kingpins or violent criminals. More than 94 
percent are people of color, despite research showing that a majority of 
drug sellers and users are white.

Research also shows that drug treatment is more successful than 
imprisonment in reducing the crime associated with the narcotics trade. The 
Rockefeller laws are wasteful, unjust, ineffective and marked by racial 
bias. Given the survey results, it is reasonable to ask: will state policy 
makers finally muster the political will to reform these outdated laws?

ROBERT GANGI

Executive Director, Correctional Association of New York
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