Pubdate: Thu, 22 Nov 2007 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Carl Anderson FAILED SYSTEM In 2006, there were 2,245,189 people incarcerated in the U.S., with between 20 to 30 per cent of those locked-up on drug-related charges, depending on the state. These numbers have steadily increased over the last decade, yet drug use has also risen, right along with the prison population. What kind of benchmark is this for Canadian lawmakers? Why don't we try something that has a chance of success rather than emulate a failed and costly system? Carl Anderson, Kamloops - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake