Pubdate: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell, Vancouver Courier Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing) CONSERVATIVE DRUG STRATEGY BASED ON FAILED U.S. SCORCHED-EARTH POLICY--B.C. CIVIL LIBERTIES BOSS The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is slamming Prime Minister Stephen Harper's recently announced drug strategy, saying mandatory minimum sentences for serious drug crimes poses a significant threat to civil liberties. In a release, the association said the approach has been used for more than a decade in the United States and led to the imposition of unjust prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders while failing to reduce either the supply or demand for drugs. The approach also strips away a judge's ability to assess the "entire picture" of the individual and case to determine a sentence, said Jason Gratl, the association's president. "This scorched-earth policy is out of touch with the psychological realities of drug addiction and drug distribution," Gratl said. "It's so Richard Nixon." Last week, Harper announced a two-year, $64 million anti-drug strategy, with two-thirds going to prevention and treatment, and the rest to enforcement. His announcement came the same week that Health Minister Tony Clement agreed to extend the operating licence of the city's supervised injection site until June 2008. The facility is called Insite and is located on East Hastings. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom