Pubdate: Fri, 13 Sep 2002
Source: Gazette, The (CO)
Copyright: 2002 The Gazette
Contact:  http://www.gazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/876
Author: Max Altinger

WAR ON DRUGS

Incarceration Is Not The Way To Solve The Problem

Congratulations to The Gazette for its Sept. 13 Our View, "Stars and bars."

The facts that there are 6.6 million Americans behind bars and that the 
United States has the highest incarceration rate of any county in the world 
are sad to contemplate in a country deemed "the land of the free."

As The Gazette stated, much of the incarceration rate is driven by 
drug-related crimes and the mandatory sentencing laws that accompany them. 
This underscores the principle that the war on drugs is really a war 
against people who use drugs.

Clearly, fighting drugs by building more prisons isn't the answer. This 
country needs a long-overdue revision of the drug and sentencing laws. The 
way to fight drug abuse and addiction is through rehabilitation and by the 
education of young people through facts, not scare tactics.

Max Altinger

Colorado Springs
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