Pubdate: Tue, 05 Dec 2000
Source: Jackson Citizen Patriot (MI)
Copyright: 2000 Jackson Citizen Patriot
Contact:  214 S. Jackson St., Jackson, Michigan 49201
Website: http://www.citpat.com/

OUR NATION'S DRUG LAWS: IT'S TIME TO REFORM THEM

Nationally, Americans are going through a period of intense rethinking of
our federal and state drug laws. Are these laws too harsh? We think so, in
this sense there is too much reliance on prison as a solution, and too
little use of treatment programs.

Recent developments highlight the issue. In California, 61 percent of voters
on Nov. 7 opted for an initiative that requires treatment for first-or
second-time drug offenders. This was a reaction to the fact that California
judges have incarcerated 30,000 people annually for simple possession of
drugs. Also, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Interfaith
Coalition for Jubilee Clemency recently issued a strong letter appealing for
more leniency for nonviolent criminals. They point out that the United
States has 100,000 more people in prison for drug offenses than the 12
nations of the European Union have in prison for all offenses, even though
the European Union's populace is 100 million greater than that of the United
States.

Michigan has come under criticism for its mandatory-minimum sentences for
drug offenders, a policy that largely removes judicial discretion in
sentencing. About 12 percent of the state's 45,500 state prisoners are
serving time for drug offenses. We do not suggest that everyone convicted of
a drug offense ends up in prison, for that is not true, since some are
sentenced to probation or treatment programs. But we do believe that there
are more nonviolent drug offenders sentenced to prison than should be.

One reason is that drug policy in Michigan is skewed so much toward
enforcement and incarceration. Building prisons and jails is a growth
industry in the state. And every local police department is active in
enforcing the law against people who violate the law. But it has been years
since Jackson had a locally based substance-abuse agency active in promoting
throughout the community the message, "Don't do drugs." True, for the past
decade Jackson's Breakout Drug Education Program has done some of that work
on the local level, but it is not as extensive an effort as we recall in
previous years from tax-funded, substance-abuse agencies.

It is balance we look for in the Drug War, and we see too little of it. The
heavy reliance on jails and prisons to change lives is not working. Send a
person to prison, and there is little chance he or she will emerge after the
experience as a better person. If anything, prison is a graduate school in
crime. We think the time is ripe for our lawmakers to review Michigan's
anti-drug policy. The thousands of drug offenders we send to prison may
scratch the public's itch for a get-tough policy, but the question remains:
Has "getting tough" diminished the drug problem? No. 

The Powers That Be

Michigan governor, top elected officials

Gov. John M. Engler (R), the Capitol Bldg., Lansing, Mich.,48909
(517-373-3400)

Secretary of State Candice Miller (R), The Treasury Bldg., Lansing 48918
(517-373-2510)

Attorney General Jennifer Granholm (D), The Law Bldg., 525 W. Ottawa,
Lansing 48913 (517-373-1110)
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