Pubdate: Wed, 07 Mar 2001 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Website: http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonSun/ Address: #250, 4990-92 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6B 3A1 Canada Email: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/home.html Copyright: 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership. Fax: (780) 468-0139 Section: Letter of the Day Author: Alan Randell Noted: Headline by newshawk; parenthetical remark by the Sun editor RE: "THE deal on drug courts," March 2. Mindelle Jacobs has swallowed the myth of the efficacy of drug courts hook, line and sinker. Of course, veteran prosecutor Kofi Barnes likes drug courts, his job depends on them. If drug courts save "gobs of money," why does the federal government have to provide funding for them? Jacobs says, "Despite the failures, Toronto's drug court certainly beats the alternative (imprisonment)." I disagree. The alternative of legalizing all drugs will do more to reduce the harm done by banned drugs than setting up 10,000 drug courts. If coerced treatment is so wonderful, why don't we prohibit alcohol and tobacco and set up courts for those drugs too? Alan Randell (The legalization of all drugs is not in the cards.) - ---