Pubdate: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 Source: Saratogian, The (NY) Copyright: The Saratogian 2004 Contact: http://www.saratogian.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2100 STATE'S DRUG LAW REFORM A WISE MOVE New York took an important step into the present and toward the future by reworking portions of the 1970s-era Rockefeller drug laws. Gov. George Pataki on Tuesday signed legislation scaling back what used to be among the harshest drug laws in the nation. Don't mistake this for leniency or coddling of drug sellers. No penalty can be too strong for pushing poison. The major changes in the law deal with nonviolent offenders, lowering maximum sentences so people can learn and move on to productive lives. It means more people out in the work force instead of wasting away in prison at the expense of taxpayers. Most importantly, it means that prison is reserved for those who truly deserve it: murderers, rapists, child molesters and violent criminals. Though drug laws inevitably have mutated over the years as different governors took the helm, the slimmed-down version fits modern sensibilities, offering reasonable hope of a second chance while still punishing those who break the law. Interestingly, the revised law, which goes into effect in January, is retroactive in part. Judges will be allowed to revisit cases of inmates who are serving life sen tences for drug offenses. That's only about 400 people across the state, a fraction of those incarcerated. Like any law, this is being called too tough by some and too lenient by others. It doesn't provide funding for drug treatment programs, but neither does it crack down harder on sellers who use children as drug couriers. On the simplest level, the revision is an accomplishment because the Assembly, Senate and Pataki were all in agreement. At its core, it's a necessary and rational update. Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III sees the revision as a positive change. Administering the law, choosing a just sentence and protecting the public is not easy. "It's a delicate balance, every day," Murphy said. "We re-evaluate our position constantly to be sure the law is fair." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth