To the Editors of the Rensselaer Republican: I'm writing about: "Program DARES' to save lives" (12-19-07). Common sense tells us that the DARE program should deter our youth from using illegal drugs. But it doesn't. DARE graduates are more likely to use illegal drugs--not less. Common sense tells us that the Earth is the center of the universe and our solar system. But it's not. Common sense tells us that prohibiting a product should substantially reduce the use of the product that's prohibited. Actually, prohibition tends to substantially increase the desire for the product that's prohibited. [continues 91 words]
The state agreed to put random drug tests into the contract with the Hawaii State Teachers Association. The contract was negotiated by members of Gov. Linda Lingle's administration. The state Department of Education wants $523,723 over and above its $2.5 billion budget to administer the drug-testing program, specifically to hire five workers and buy computer equipment to conduct the tests. The governor's main money person, Budget Director Georgina Kawamura, says the DOE already has the money it needs to conduct the testing. Kawamura said the DOE had $44 million in unspent funds as of June 30 and had $33 million in unspent funds June 30, 2006. [continues 239 words]
BOSTON - During some of the bloodiest years of the drug wars of the 1980s, crack was seen as far more dangerous than powdered cocaine, and that perception was written into the sentencing laws. But now that notion is under attack like never before. Criminologists, doctors and other experts say the differences between the two forms of the drug were largely exaggerated and do not justify the way the law comes down 100 times harder on crack. A push to shrink the disparity in punishments got a boost last month when reduced federal sentencing guidelines went into effect for crack offenses. Then, earlier this month, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which sets guidelines for federal cases, voted to make the reductions retroactive, allowing some 19,500 inmates, mostly black, to seek reductions in their crack sentences. [continues 836 words]
BOSTON - During some of the bloodiest years of the drug wars of the 1980s, crack was seen as far more dangerous than powdered cocaine, and that perception was written into the sentencing laws. But now that notion is under attack like never before. Criminologists, doctors and other experts say the differences between the two forms of the drug were largely exaggerated and do not justify the way the law comes down 100 times harder on crack. A push to shrink the disparity in punishments got a boost last month when reduced federal sentencing guidelines went into effect for crack offenses. Then, earlier this month, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which sets guidelines for federal cases, voted to make the reductions retroactive, allowing some 19,500 inmates, mostly black, to seek reductions in their crack sentences. [continues 830 words]
Montpelier, Vt. -- For almost two decades, the Vermont Corrections Department has grappled with ever larger numbers of inmates being sent their way. New prisons have been built, cutting-edge social programs designed to keep people from needing prison have been implemented and inmates have been sent to other states for long-term, less expensive housing. Yet, despite occasional pauses in the rate of growth, the number of people in state custody has continued to grow. In an era of fiscal prudence, the Legislature has regularly funded double-digit increases to keep pace. [continues 904 words]
(Re: Dec. 21 guest column, "Drug prohibition: What cop learned from years on front line," by Howard J. Wooldridge.) I, too, work have worked in law enforcement for 32 years and am still "in the trenches." Woolridge says we should repeal current drug policies and laws, creating a world where the state regulates the sale of all drugs and narcotics. Surely Wooldridge, while he was in law enforcement, has worked cases where low-lifes commit crimes in order to feed their habit. [continues 158 words]
District 834 students are more likely to use drugs and alcohol than their peers across the state, according to results from the latest Minnesota Student Survey. Drug use was down in both groups, but alcohol use stayed steady and an increasing number of students reported "binge drinking" in the past year. The survey is administered to sixth-, ninth- and 12th-grade students throughout the state once every three years. It asks questions on a variety of topics, ranging from attitudes toward school to exercise habits, extracurricular involvement, drug use and sexual activity. [continues 700 words]
Federal funds that help pay for Pima County's anti-drug task force were slashed by more than two-thirds when Congress passed the fiscal year 2008 omnibus appropriations bill. The amount going to the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, which received $520 million last year, dropped to $170 million this year, said Mary Marshall, spokeswoman for the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. That means Arizona will likely get about $1.7 million, compared to $5.6 million last year, she said. Pima County will get a fraction of that. [continues 279 words]
After he stopped laughing, York County drug czar Bill Graff got on the phone with the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab. "You can lick all the toads you want," had been Graff's initial response. "I don't think it's a crime. There's nothing in the (state) crimes code banning the licking of toads." Graff didn't believe it, but the question of toad licking came up after a man was arrested in November in Missouri, accused of possession of a Colorado River toad with the intent to lick it to get high. [continues 806 words]
WAILUKU - With a goal of deterring crime, the Maui County prosecutor's office has initiated forfeiture proceedings for three Maui properties where police reported finding marijuana-growing operations in recent months. The petitions, filed Tuesday in 2nd Circuit Court, cite a state law saying property is subject to forfeiture when it is used in the commission of certain crimes, including felony marijuana cultivation. "We have decided to start using the law to try and win our fight against crime," said county Prosecuting Attorney Benjamin Acob. "It will be used in drug cases, gambling cases and in any other case that's authorized by the statute." [continues 731 words]
An area service agency has received statewide recognition for addressing the needs of local youths struggling to deal with issues of alcohol and drug abuse in their homes. Recovery and Prevention Resources of Delaware and Morrow counties' YES Program is one of two prevention programs serving elementary students to be named an "Exemplary Prevention Program" this year by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. This is the fourth year RPR of Delaware and Morrow Counties has offered YES, also known as the "You're Extra Special" program. It partners with local schools to identify students ages 5 to 13 who live in homes where alcohol or other drug abuse is believed to be a problem. [continues 545 words]
MANSFIELD -- Richland County Common Pleas Judge James Henson knew the "war on drugs" needed to change. "Sending young people to prison for using drugs wasn't working," he said. "We were getting the same people out that we were sending in." Chief probation Officer Dave Leitenberger agreed. "We've seen so much growth in drug crimes over the last two decades," he said. "The long-term problem has to be solved through behavior change and treatment. You have to offer them treatment and an opportunity to live a normal life." [continues 463 words]
A recent report issued by the National Drug Intelligence Center indicates an alarming trend in the number of methadone-related deaths - -- estimated to be about a 400 percent increase since 1999. And while some local experts agree that the NDIC's figure mirrors that of local trends, they say the increase is not a result of methadone clinics, commonly frequented by drug addicts to treat heroin addiction. According to the report, methadone-related deaths increased from 786 in 1999 to almost 4,000 in 2004, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [continues 426 words]
Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer's approval rating is at an all-time low of 36 percent, according to a survey by the Siena College Research Institute. This is a far cry from his 69 percent approval rating when he took office. The survey polled about 1,000 voters in December, of which 47 percent said the governor should become a "kinder, gentler governor." But 41 percent of Republicans said they doubt whether the transformation can be made. The question I pose is: "How can Spitzer counter his downward spiral and start winning back the voters of New York State?" One answer is to show the citizens of New York that, despite the negativity generated from the trials and tribulations of his governorship, he is still an individual who shows compassion for others. Compassion, a virtue found in many great leaders, is said to be not sentiment but the act of making justice through works of mercy. [continues 314 words]
Do as we say, not as we do" appears to be the philosophy of some members of Ohio's Education Standards Board in regard to ethical behavior by public school teachers. That may be a bit harsh, given the fact that the board's lapse involved state public meetings law -- while the subject of its improper gatherings was criminal misconduct by educators. Still, members of the board should have deliberated the issue in public, if only to obtain input from Ohioans. [continues 546 words]
He Lobbies Lawmakers On Proposed Study Washington - Lobbyists are not always slick, smooth-talkers who try to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge. Sometimes they are simply academics looking after their students. Donald Singleton, director of the Upward Bound program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, was in that role when he headed to Washington last spring. His intent: to discuss with the Wisconsin congressional delegation a potentially flawed study proposed as part of the Upward Bound application process. In Wisconsin, 15 colleges receive U.S. Department of Education funding for Upward Bound, including UW-Milwaukee, Marquette University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. [continues 672 words]
City Files Amicus Brief for Medical ID Cards In the legal tug of war between the county and state over medical marijuana, the city of San Diego has sided with Sacramento and voters. Lawyers from the City Attorney's Office have filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit between San Diego County and the state Department of Justice. County supervisors hope a panel of appellate judges will relieve them of their obligation under state law to issue identification cards to qualified patients. [continues 661 words]
Congress and President Bush have done the right thing, lifting a disastrous nine-year ban that prevented Washington from using locally raised tax dollars on needle-exchange programs that help fight the spread of AIDS. Unfortunately, that still leaves in force an even broader and more damaging law that prohibits the use of federal funds for needle-exchange programs in the United States or abroad. That ban must also be rescinded. The country's most important medical and public health organizations endorsed needle-exchange programs more than a decade ago, and such programs have proved highly successful all over the world. Opponents' charges that needle exchanges would encourage addiction have turned out to be nonsense. [continues 214 words]
As a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy, I'm writing in response to the Dec. 17 editorial, "Solid sentences." Mandatory minimum prison sentences have done little other than give the land of the free the highest incarceration rate in the world. The deterrent value of tough drug laws is grossly overrated. During the crack epidemic of the '80s, New York City chose the zero tolerance approach, opting to arrest and prosecute as many offenders as possible. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack and America's capital had the highest per capita murder rate in the country. Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously. [continues 116 words]
Inside United States
