Pubdate: Wed, 25 Feb 2015 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2015 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Peter Laarman DRUG USE AND JAIL TIME Re "Catch and release," Feb. 22 It's unfortunate to see law enforcement leaders take the line that locking up problem drug users or threatening them with felony jail time is the way to get them straightened out. Law enforcement never liked Proposition 47 and actively tried to kill it, but its pique doesn't justify misrepresenting what the evidence tells us about addiction and recovery. What the evidence shows is that court-ordered treatment usually ends in relapse. Treatment that people seek on their own has a far greater likelihood of success. Rather than try to discredit Proposition 47, law enforcement should be grateful that the new law allows it to focus on serious and violent crime rather than chase people who definitely need help, but not the kind of "help" they will get from legal sanctions. Peter Laarman West Hollywood The writer is coordinator of Justice Not Jails. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom