Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 Source: Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA) Copyright: 2005 New England Newspapers, Inc. Contact: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/897 Author: Wendy Rosenberg INTENT OF LAW MISUSED IN BARRINGTON CASE To the Editor of THE EAGLE:- As a frequent visitor to the area, I am aghast at some of the comments I've been reading about the downtown parking lot sting in Great Barrington. My understanding of the underlying facts is that some of the young people are accused of selling very small amounts of marijuana in a school zone. The school in question is a preschool in the basement of a church across Route 7, behind a block of stores. No children were ever approached or endangered - school was not even in session. In fact, an adult undercover police officer initiated each transaction. The application of the school zone penalty seems to be a misuse of the intent of the law. Prosecutorial discretion is an option. A minimum of two years in jail is not an appropriate punishment for these young people. Who hasn't done something regrettably foolish and still gone on to lead a productive life? Shouldn't jail always be the last resort for first time nonviolent offenders? Let's seek alternative punishments that are constructive rather than destructive. WENDY ROSENBERG, Craryville, N.Y., June 3, 2005 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom