Pubdate: Thu, 01 Mar 2001 Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX) Copyright: 2001 Amarillo Globe-News Contact: P.O. Box 2091, Amarillo, TX 79166 Fax: (806) 373-0810 Website: http://amarillonet.com/ Forum: http://208.138.68.214:90/eshare/server?action=4 Author: Debra Cochrain Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm SLEEPY TOWN OF TULIA CLOSES ITS EYES TO INJUSTICE FRITCH - On Feb. 18, I decided to take a drive to Tulia and meet some people. I have been following the tale of the drug sting that occurred July 23, 1999, and I realize how lucky my family has been. I have a daughter with an addiction problem. She is about the same age as some of the "convicted felons" in the story. If the truth were known, my daughter's story is much worse, yet she was allowed probation - a short probation at that. Three years. When my daughter completes her probation, her felony will be removed from her record. And today I am proud that she is in sobriety one year. I have firsthand experience that prison doesn't work for cases such as these. The only thing they learn in prison is anger and hate. Ask my daughter. Kids with a drug problem don't need prison. They need love and compassion. And when they are in trouble, they'd better not live in Tulia. I do not intend to make this column one of racial tone but rather one of questioning selective enforcement. It is rather shocking to me that several of the first-time non-violent offenders of Tulia received the maximum sentences. I've read all about the undercover narcotics officer and other facts of the trials. I am confused, and frankly, quite frightened by it all. It really appears to me to be one big setup - the innocent sent away, with the name of the "drug war" applied. What offense are they guilty of? Making a bad decision, such as we all did while growing up. There are great ways today to help young people. Incarceration is slow death, not help. And so I decided that I needed to meet some of the people affected by this drug sting. One of the things that bothers me the most are the 37 children of those incarcerated on this famous occasion. I had the extreme pleasure of meeting three of these children - very intelligent, big bright eyes, laughter like sunshine on a cloudy day. They could hardly be described as "crack babies." Studies show that children who have parents incarcerated are six times more likely to be incarcerated themselves, compared to children who do not have parents in prison. Are we creating a prison class to replace the welfare class? What are we telling our children? One bad decision in youth and we throw you away? That is what we are telling them. I also had the pleasure of meeting some of the parents and grandparents affected. And I must say that I admire the bravery of all I met. I rather doubt if I would have the same strength. I rather doubt that I would have faith in anything or anyone at this point. In today's legal climate, it could easily be your child. Let me be the first to say that I understand why Tulia is afraid of drugs. And I understand why a sheriff would want to make a strong statement about drug trafficking on his watch. However, these young people were not "kingpins" but victims of the drug war. What I do not understand is how a young man with absolutely no previous trouble with the law could be sentenced to 20 years based only on the word of a narcotics agent. No documentation was provided, neither written nor recorded. Tulia loved this young man when he was a football star. But one mistake, and he's thrown away. Nor do I understand how another young man, six months into sobriety at the time of his arrest, could also be given 12 years. This young man had two incidences of mischief that were non-drug related. We should be encouraging him and helping him, not sentencing him to prison. This former athlete of the year had made the decision to become a better parent, and now this parent is lost to his children. What kind of statement is that? There are many more cases and many more questions. Forty damaged families. Will they heal and move on? How can they? Thrown out with the trash. That's what I see. My final conclusion? There is an extreme injustice that must be corrected so the sleepy town of Tulia can heal. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe