Pubdate: Mon, 09 Dec 2013
Source: Gainesville Sun, The (FL)
Copyright: 2013 The Gainesville Sun
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/yMmn4Ifw
Website: http://www.gainesville.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/163
Author: Jamie Benjamin

DISPLAY OF COURAGE

Since the 1980s, the war on drugs resulted in stiff minimum mandatory
sentences for drug traffickers caught with boatloads of drugs. Somehow
the minimum mandatory sentences were amended to include as little as
seven prescription pain pills. Somehow someone addicted to pain
medication after an injury was included in this web meant for big-time
drug traffickers.

This has to stop. We cannot economically handle the drain on our
society to prosecute and warehouse individuals who simply need some
drug treatment. These people suffer addictions that can more
economically be counseled and treated as opposed to being warehoused
in our prisons and labeled convicted felons.

State Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and others have introduced
legislation that raises the quantity of oxycodone and hydrocodone
levels of various minimum mandatory sentences. These legislators
should be applauded by the people of Florida for this display of
courage and leadership.

Jamie Benjamin,

President,

Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
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MAP posted-by: Matt