Pubdate: Wed, 07 Mar 2007
Source: Press-Register (Mobile, AL)
Copyright: 2007 Mobile Register
Contact: http://www.al.com/mobileregister/?lettereditor.html
Website: http://www.al.com/mobileregister/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/269
Author: Gil Joiner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

'WAR ON DRUGS' NOT THE ANSWER

A group of criminal justice professionals is speaking out against the 
"war on drugs." Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (also known as 
LEAP) is composed of cops, judges, wardens, DEA and FBI agents, 
prosecutors, etc., who believe U.S. drug policy is not only a failure 
but terribly destructive.

Jerry Cameron, a retired police chief from the Jacksonville area, was 
on Pensacola's public TV recently, making LEAP's case.

The idea of meth being legally available may seem ludicrous at first, 
but it would be better to have a meth addict get his "fix" from the 
local pharmacy than the current situation in which we have dangerous 
meth labs being operated in our neighborhoods.

The United States has 5 percent of the world's population yet 25 
percent of the world's prison population. A large percentage of 
prisoners are in prison because of drugs. Something is wrong. 
Corrections is becoming big business in America with a powerful 
legislative lobby.

Legalization is not an answer to America's drug problem. It is an 
answer to America's crime and violence problem. I challenge local, 
current and former criminal justice professionals with courage to 
join LEAP and help prevent the multitude of unintended harmful 
consequences resulting from our "war on drugs" and reduce the 
incidence of death, disease, crime and addiction by ultimately ending 
drug prohibition. Then and only then can we begin to address our drug problem.

Gil Joiner

Gulf Shores
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