Pubdate: Fri, 05 Aug 2005
Source: Daily Citizen, The (AR)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Citizen
Contact:  http://www.thedailycitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2046
Author: Joseph Goldstein
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

BEEBE: KEEP METH ADDICTS IN PRISON

Attorney General Speaks To Police At State Convention

Incarceration of methamphetamine users is central to beating Arkansas' drug 
problem, Attorney General Mike Beebe said Thursday.

Beebe's comments followed his speech to the Arkansas Municipal Police 
Association's convention held in Searcy, during which Beebe said Arkansas 
was making headway in the ongoing struggle with methamphetamine.

Beebe, who is a candidate for governor in 2006, said that since a law 
restricting the availability of cold medications used to cook meth went in 
effect this spring, the number of meth labs in Arkansas has decreased by half.

Following his address to more than 50 police officers, Beebe said that 
incarceration helps addicts by separating them from methamphetamine.

"Part of the punishment has to include a long enough period of 
incarceration," Beebe said.

Deputy Prosecutor Becky Reed said that in White County first time offenders 
charged with meth possession are generally not sentenced to prison. Instead 
they are sent to a regional punishment facility or placed on probation. 
Reed prosecutes White County's drug cases.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom