Pubdate: Mon, 25 Jul 2005
Source: Tribune, The (Seymour, IN)
Section: Readers Forum
Copyright: 2005 The Tribune
Contact:  http://www.tribtown.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3743
Author: Kirk Muse
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

COLD MEDICATION LAW IS BETTER THAN MORE CELLS

To the Editor:

I'm writing about "Hoosiers adjust to meth law," Page 1A of the July 18 
edition of The Tribune.

Keeping the ingredients of meth behind the counter is certainly a lot 
better solution than the previous non-solution of building more and bigger 
prisons.

Oklahoma learned the hard way that the so-called "tough on drugs" policies 
don't work and they are very expensive. Largely because of their "tough on 
drugs" policies, Oklahoma became the fourth highest state for incarcerations.

Largely because of our war on drugs policies, the United States has been 
transformed into the most incarcerated nation in the history of human 
civilization. Even though we in the United States have fewer than 5 percent 
of the world's population, we have more than 25 percent of the world's 
prisoners.

In other words, one out of every four prisoners in the world is locked in 
an American jail or prison. What message does this send to the rest of the 
world?

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz. 
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MAP posted-by: Beth