Pubdate: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 Source: Oakland Tribune (CA) Copyright: 2000 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers Contact: 66 Jack London Sq., Oakland, CA 94607 Feedback: http://www.newschoice.com/asp-bin/feedback.asp?PUID486 Website: http://www.newschoice.com/newspapers/alameda/tribune/ STUDY: DRUG OFFENDERS DO LESS TIME Washington -- Despite a massive expansion of the nation's drug war, narcotics traffickers and users busted by federal law enforcement agencies are doing far less time in prison than in years past, according to interviews and new data released Sunday. Researchers at Syracuse University said startling new statistics suggest that federal authorities are failing to target the most dangerous drug king pins and the most drug infested areas, focusing instead on lower-level marijuana crimes. As a result, judges may be meting out shorting sentences -- a result of weaker cases or less serious offenses, the researchers said. Whatever the explanation, the reduction of drug sentences appears particularly severe in Southern California, according to the new statistics, which are based on the federal government's computerized data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Notorious as a gateway for drug importers, Souther California once meted out the toughest drug sentences in the country, according to the most recent statistics compiled by TRAC, The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. But the group's study shows that penalties in the region have shrunk by more than half, farm an average federal sentence of 18 years in 1992 to seven years in 1998. Nationwide, federal drug sentence fell 22 percent over the same period, oven as the number of drug prosecutions and convictions reached record levels, the study found. Working on the assumption that more-populated areas have more drug activity, the researches ranked 90 federal court districts by the number of federal drug referrals per capita. TRAC researchers said the low rankings of Los Angeles and several other urban areas was perplexing because those cites "have long been viewed as major centers for the import, production and use of illegal drugs." The study focused primarily on the DEA and Customs -- the two leading agencies in the federal anti-drug effort -- and it raised questions about the consistency and effectiveness with which both enforce drug laws. Several experts in the law-enforcement and drug communities said they were surprised by the findings. No one seemed certain how to explain them but all agreed that the statistics -- particularly the sever drop in drug sentences -- are worth closer scrutiny and could mark a potentially significant trend with broad implications for anti-narcotics enforcement. - --- MAP posted-by: Allan Wilkinson