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.
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