Pubdate: Wed, 17 Mar 2004
Source: Daily Kent Stater (OH Edu)
Copyright: 2004 The Daily Kent Stater
Contact: http://www.stater.kent.edu/contact/
Website: http://www.stater.kent.edu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1256

DRUG CONVICTS SHOULDN'T BE DENIED AID

Members of Congress are pushing to rewrite a law enacted in 1998 that
prevents potential college students from receiving funding because of
drug offenses. The law was created to discourage students from
experimenting with drugs. However, over the years it has become a form
of double punishment that prevents a lot of people from being able to
get their lives back on track.

This law is ridiculous for a number of reasons. First of all, it
leaves no room for grace in our justice system. If a student gets
caught smoking pot once at the age of 15, that person will never get
government funding for college. Many students depend on federal grants
and loans. This law is detrimental to the fundamentals of punishment
and rehabilitation. Although these people may have committed their
crimes and served time for it years ago, they are still further
punished. This law prevents people from turning their lives around.

This law singles out drug use as being the worst crime. Someone who
has been convicted or rape or attempted murder can get funding for
college before a former drug user can.

The basis for the law in itself is outlandish. Lawmakers believed that
by creating this law, potential college students would think twice
before they experiment with drugs. It seems more likely that these
people, mostly adolescents, would just try harder not to get caught.

Members of Congress are proposing changes to the bill to soften the
blow. However, these changes still impose stiffer penalties on drug
use than on any other crime. These proposed changes also would prevent
some first-time and minor offenders from getting aid while
re-establishing it for more serious convicted users.

This law conveys a message to people that the U.S. government is not
forgiving, and even if one commits a crime and serves time for it, the
punishment could possibly still continue for years.

The current law has a provision that allows students to win back their
aid by attending drug treatment. However, in many circumstances, the
drug treatment is just as expensive as college tuition. This defeats
the purpose of being able to receive government funding again.
Treatment should be offered, but it should be free of cost so everyone
has an opportunity to be cared for.

This ridiculous law needs to be eliminated. Treatment and education
shouldn't be denied to someone because of past transgressions.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake