Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jan 2006
Source: Beaufort Gazette, The (SC)
Contact:  http://www.beaufortgazette.com/
Address: P.O. Box 399 Beaufort, SC 29901
Fax: (843)524-8728
Copyright: 2006 The Beaufort Gazette
Author: Kirk Muse

PREVENTION BETTER THAN INCARCERATION

I'm writing about: "Bill would put cold medicines behind the counter" 
(The Gazette, Jan. 17).

Keeping the ingredients of meth behind the counter is certainly a lot 
better solution than the previous nonsolution 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 
its "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 of 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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