Pubdate: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 Source: Tri-Town Transcript (MA) Copyright: 2006, Tri-Town Transcript Contact: http://www.hiasys.com/contactus/contactus.html Website: http://www.townonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2643 Author: Lindsay Drudele PARKWAY LVW TAKES ON PRISON REFORM Parkway resident members of the Boston League of Women Voters are stewing over their next position which may make its way into their charter. League veteran Ila Cooper said that members are attending meetings, including one last night (Wednesday), to hear from experts and scholars about prison reform. She said for now, the League itself does not have a stand. But, as with many issues, when members begin to suspect something needs a change, it's time to study up. Cooper has been a League member for more than 80 years. Cooper herself does have a stand, so far. Other Parkway residents include Mary Tamer, new Superintendent Search Committee and LWV director, as well as Jane Ferguson and Amy Gitlin. "We think our jails are overfilled, and I personally suspect that our war on drugs has been a disaster," said Cooper, as she prepared for a forum on the topic in Jamaica Plain. "The war on drugs is a war on people, and a war on young people. We've gone overboard in society and made a mess." She said with those inklings, it's why she helped organize the meeting so she could hear from experts. Discussions are opportunities to look at the issue and take preliminary steps on the road to forming an official position. Following the meeting, the League will embark on a one-to five-year study. "Other leagues in other states have taken stands on this, but in Boston, we have not done this," she said. In February, Boston League members will meet with city councilors at City Hall, an annual event. And, she said, regulars make sure to cover meetings, such as the school committee. "There are many problems," she said, and so the group asks, "Is it something the League can lend something to?" In her 80 years as a member, Cooper said she looks to projects in the city that have taken place, such as the Orange Line on the MBTA as well as the Commuter Rail, and sees the League's influence marked there. "You can do things to make society better," she said. "You can't change the world completely, but you can play one kind of a role in it. That's why I stay with a group like this." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman