Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jul 2013
Source: Okotoks Western Wheel (CN AB)
Copyright: 2013, Okotoks Western Wheel
Contact: http://www.westernwheel.com/contact
Website: http://www.westernwheel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1638

DRUG DEALERS DESERVE JAIL TIME

Last week two Okotokians were sentenced for selling cocaine in the
community and the sentences were bad optics.

One was 16 and the other was 20. One was sentenced to jail for being a
drug dealer and the other was sent home.

Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act it is possible to receive jail
time for trafficking in cocaine, but the direction of Parliament is
jail is to be a last resort.

The number of teens going to jail dropped for the third year in row in
2011. In that year 1,500 youths were in jail, or 10 per cent of youths
in the criminal justice system.

In this case the cocaine dealing teen will be under house arrest for
two months, but will be allowed to work and go to school - a home he
was dealing cocaine from and a school where he was found with
pre-packaged marijuana in his locker.

He will then be on a curfew for the next 10 months and under his
parent's rules.

The adult, on the other hand, will be spending years in a federal
penitentiary, in part for dealing cocaine. The starting point for
adults caught dealing hard drugs like cocaine is three years in jail.

The youth's lawyer told the court when the boy moved to Okotoks he had
a hard time making friends and ended up in a crowd that was in the
drug scene.

He was told by his friends if he wanted to sell drugs it was easy to
make money and he wouldn't get sent to jail because he was a youth.

While some might point fingers at these bad influences, one finger
should be pointed at the justice system.

Last week the same youth was again told if you are under 18 years old
and you sell cocaine you won't go to jail - and this time it was by a
judge.

So, tell your friends - if you want to be a drug dealer start your
career early.

Or, if you don't think teenagers should be able to sell cocaine
without serious penalties tell your MP reforms need to be made to the
Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Selling drugs isn't childs' play and these teen drug dealers needs to
be treated like the adults they are emulating.