Pubdate: Sat, 25 Nov 2000
Source: Hawk Eye, The (IA)
Copyright: 2000 The Hawk Eye
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Note: Harm Reduction articles: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm

IOWA DRUG POLICY NEW CHIEF JUSTICE SEES FUTURE FOR DRUG REHAB OVER JAIL.

The new chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court has some sage advice for 
how the state should deal with illegal drug abuse.

In an interview to be broadcast on Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Press" 
program today, Chief Justice Louis Lavorato said Iowa should emphasize drug 
treatment programs instead of prison for nonviolent criminals.

Lavorato cited referendums passed in several states that require treatment 
rather than incarceration for nonviolent first and second offenders.

Iowa has a pilot drug court system but no statewide policy as yet.

"We're filling all these prisons and I just wonder how much of the 
population we're going to put in prison," Lavorato said.

He's right to wonder, and he isn't alone.

Lavorato said Iowa's pilot program that provides drug offenders treatment 
and counseling in hopes of avoiding prison is "the only thing that's been 
working, really."

He called for talking about alternatives to the state's drug policy when 
the Legislature convenes in January.

Lavorato also hinted that he will ask the Legislature to restore judges' 
flexibility and discretion.

He did not mention the obvious, that most judges nationwide had sentencing 
options before state politicians decided judicial inflexibility and 
mandatory prison sentences were the solutions to crime.

But the inflexibility has only made the U.S. the world's biggest jailer, 
without tackling the underlying cause of most crime, which is untreated 
substance abuse.

Justice Lavorato plainly knows that, and Iowans would do well to ponder his 
assessment of the situation.
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MAP posted-by: Terry F