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  Gov. Taft Reluctantly Discovers Drug Law Reform
Posted by FoM on February 19, 2002 at 09:52:01 PT
By Pete Shuler  
Source: Cincinnati City Beat  

justice An attempt by a group of citizens to change Ohio's handling of nonviolent drug offenders has forced Gov. Bob Taft to hastily pull out, dust off and fine-tune his long-neglected policies regarding the criminalization of drug users.

As reported last month in CityBeat, the Ohio Committee for New Drug Policies (OCNDP) plans to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The initiative would require that certain nonviolent drug offenders receive treatment instead of incarceration.

With polls indicating that many view drug addiction as a disease, not a crime, the OCNDP initiative could succeed in Ohio. In recent ABC News and Columbus Dispatch polls, a majority of the respondents, respectively 69 and 74 percent, favored treatment over prison for drug users.

But the ballot initiative contains several provisions the Taft administration finds objectionable. According to documents obtained by the OCNDP from Taft, his wife and his staffers through a public-records request, the administration's primary concern is the OCNDP's proposed amendment limits judicial authority over drug offenders who fail to complete the treatment program.

These documents indicate that, because the administration recognizes the popularity of the OCNDP's message and don't want the initiative to pass, they might soon address drug policy reform.

During a July 2001 strategy meeting in Washington, D.C., Ohio state agency heads and anti-drug groups discussed the need for Ohio to counteract the OCNDP with policy reforms that the public would embrace.

"We must do drug reform if we want to win," writes Marcie Seidel, Hope Taft's chief of staff, in her meeting notes. "[The] general public does not want to put users in prison -- they want them to have treatment."

The message is also evident in meeting notes taken by Domingo Herraiz, director of Ohio's Office of Criminal Justice Services: "Develop legislation that would counteract the NDP possible amendment ... Let the first offensive strategy be the development of a legislative initiative that will show how progressive Ohio is."

Numerous other bullet points from this meeting demonstrate the emphasis the attendees place on preempting the OCNDP initiative through drug policy reform.

"Review and update our drug policies in order to counteract this initiative ... Understand that the public wants reform ... Meet with Criminal Sentencing Commission to adjust several Ohio laws that would be more palatable to the citizenry and weaken the position of the NDP ... Introduce legislation -- on behalf of Ohio -- that will show governor as 'reformer.' "

While Ohio administers a judicial program that provides treatment in lieu of incarceration and maintains the court monitoring favored by Taft, the program is so inadequately funded that it is nearly nonexistent. According to the administration's statistics, fewer than 5 percent of eligible drug offenders have access to Ohio's drug courts, the state's only program offering treatment as an alternative to imprisonment.

Such inadequate funding is difficult to understand, given the success rate of drug courts, as consistently shown in dozens of studies from around the country. In Dade County, Fla., only 11 percent of drug-court graduates reenter the judicial system, compared to a 60 percent recidivism rate for incarcerated drug offenders.

In Arizona, 78 percent of drug-court graduates remain drug-free. In Rochester, N.Y., drug courts cut a 70 percent recidivism rate to 11 percent. In Hamilton County, the home of Ohio's first drug court, the program reduced recidivism rates by 26 percent.

Because studies also show that drug courts quickly pay for themselves, Ohio's under-funding of drug courts is wholly unnecessary. In a recent press release, the U.S. Department of Justice, which offers grants for the establishment and operation of drug courts, reported that for every dollar spent on Portland, Ore.'s drug court system the city saved $2.50 in criminal justice expenses and an additional $7.50 on other crime-related costs, such as those related to theft and victimization.

The Arizona study cited above also revealed that its successful drug court program saved taxpayers $2.5 million in its first year of operation by keeping offenders out of expensive prisons.

The Taft administration is aware of the effectiveness and savings potential of drug courts. In a memo to Brian Hicks, Taft's chief of staff, Luceille Fleming, director of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, brags about the success of these courts.

"Ohio's drug courts have on average a 64 to 75 percent rate of keeping graduates free from arrest and future drug use," Fleming writes. "That's a phenomenal success story."

In the same memo, Fleming addresses both the fiscal soundness and effectiveness of drug courts.

"Drug courts cost less than prison time and are much more effective in breaking the cycle of addiction and incarceration," she writes.

According to notes taken at anti-OCNDP strategy sessions, the ballot initiative has finally forced the state's executive branch to consider expanding the drug court system.

"Increase drug courts in state ... Identify funding for drug court expansion ... Commit to removing nonviolent drug offenders from Ohio prisons," the notes say.

But even with the OCNDP breathing down its neck and even though they recognize drug courts work, Taft's administration still appears somewhat hesitant to implement these changes.

"Drug reform takes us to a place that we normally would not go, such as changing drug laws," say Herraiz's notes from the Washington meeting.

This hesitancy is also apparent in discussions concerning potential strategies for defeating the ballot initiative, strategies that exclude drug policy reform. One such strategy is to show voters the cost of the ballot initiative without showing the savings or social effectiveness.

"Determine what our costs are for the new legislation amendment -- how much will it cost tax payers and sell that to the public -- build off of the anti-tax theme as if this was taxation," the notes say.

Another option is to merely promote the current drug court system: "Attend drug court graduations along with a media representative."

Taft has virtually ignored the state's drug court system and, after three years in office, has yet to develop a comprehensive drug policy. Because of pressure applied by the OCNDP's ballot initiative, it now appears he will endorse, perhaps even reluctantly expand, drug courts.

But even if Taft is forced to finally act in a substantive manner, Ohio deserves more than this reactionary leadership. Ohio deserves a government that intelligently analyzes and evaluates important issues and energetically and voluntarily backs effective, proven and cost-effective strategies.

Newshawk: Anonymous
Source: Cincinnati City Beat (OH)
Author: Pete Shuler
Published: Volume 8, Issue 14; Feb. 14-Feb. 20, 2002
Copyright: 2002 Lightborne Publishing Inc.
Contact: letters@citybeat.com
Website: http://www.citybeat.com/

Related Articles & Web Site:

Ohio Drug Treatment Initiative
http://www.drugreform.org/ohio/

Dirty Tricks in Ohio's Drug War
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11832.shtml

Taft Opposition To Drug Proposal Challenged
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11612.shtml


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Comment #7 posted by lookinside on February 20, 2002 at 16:47:07 PT:

Rupublicrats...
You can bet that their devious little rat brains will attempt to stop the initiative process. This Constitutional Amendment needs to pass, regardless of any half measures the Legislature attempts to put in it's place.

It's time to start a third political party whose platform is broad enough to draw voters from across the political spectrum. To do this, these citizens must realize that a party that stands for honesty, fair play, and our Constitutional Rights is possible. Most don't understand just how corrupt the 2 major parties really are.

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Comment #6 posted by military officer guy on February 20, 2002 at 15:51:40 PT
nope...
the way they can get away with this shit, is because the people that actually vote still think the way this policy is being writen...they don't give a flyiing fuck# what any of us think if we keep voting for people that support this shit...it ain't going no where if we keep voting for the lesser of two evils or any other excuse we use for for voting for dem/repubs...dem/repubs, same thing just spelled different...sorry to get on the "high" horse, but it's our own faults...bottom line...they really don't care that much about us, because we keep voting for them, or we don't vote at all...so they got us by default...and if we all voted for a libertarian or someone with a libertarian background, then we need to start encouraging more to do the same...anywho, enough about my babling sold out self...now that i got that off my back, howdy guys, luv'ed the comments as always from the fellas/fellees... we will win this war...

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #5 posted by idbsne1 on February 19, 2002 at 16:01:09 PT
serious....
Go kaptinemo and TroutMask!!!

Kaptin.. I see that crap all over the place... and in "broad daylight"... they are soooo used to using devious means to get their ways and brainwash the public, that they don't even think it's a big deal. The problem is that along with the government's passionate LYING, the Sheeple just take it as the status quo....

I reiterate what Troutmask said....you politicians are going to die a horrible death... politically (and physically I hope...), unless you figure out quick that the rest of the WORLD is spreading the truth, and in this internet age, the TRUTH will spread faster...and before you know it...you'll be a NOBODY....

problem is, you'll have to answer to God for all the lives you have caused suffering.... and you think I'm joking....

idbsne1

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on February 19, 2002 at 11:24:05 PT:

They did it again...
Folks, did you get it?

"During a July 2001 strategy meeting in Washington, D.C., Ohio state agency heads and anti-drug groups discussed the need for Ohio to counteract the OCNDP with policy reforms that the public would embrace.

In other words, Ohio taxpayers have payed for the travel and expenses of these people...who met in secret (do any of you Ohioans know where and when And, even more important, was it on Federal property?) to discuss ways...on how to thwart the democratically oriented efforts on the parts of reformers to change drug laws? In other words, to short-circuit democracy, itself.

This is nothing new; remember the little kaffeeklatsch that Barry had organized, on Federal time, using Fedreal resources, (in clear violation of the Hatch Act prohibiting civil servants from using Federal facilities in political aims) to brainstorm with his cronies in developing ways to overturn California's Prop215? In essence, to violate the sovereign franchise of the voters of California and nullify their vote? Does this ring a bell?

If I were an Ohioan, I think I'd be very pissed at these twits for thinking that they can nullify my vote in secret. And I'd let said aformentioned twits know that there is a big barrel full of hot tar and feathers awaiting clotbrains who entertain such ideas in the future.



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #3 posted by TroutMask on February 19, 2002 at 10:41:01 PT
Listen up, politicians
Politicians: We will drag you into drug law reform kicking and screaming if we must. But it's going to happen. How you'd like to go into it is up to you.

-TM

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by p4me on February 19, 2002 at 10:17:37 PT
government performance the oxymoron
But even if Taft is forced to finally act in a substantive manner, Ohio deserves more than this reactionary leadership. Ohio deserves a government that intelligently analyzes and evaluates important issues and energetically and voluntarily backs effective, proven and cost-effective strategies.

Is that a plea for government performance? Good luck. How about calling for any kind of study on cannabis in helping with the alcoholics. They had a problem with alcoholics in the 60's when they should have begun research. There are plenty of alcoholics and seized cannabis today but still no research. Richard Cowan talked yesterday about a UK general saying that they should no longer dismiss people for testing positive for MJ. He said he is worried much more by the ravages of alcohol on the troops.

If I did not know better I would think our government is hoping that a lot of baby boomers die before they can get their social security check. If the alcoholics and tobacco users are saved from death, the system will not be able to pay their social security and jail their grandchildren for MJ.

The most traveled road in North Carolina is Independence Blvd in Charlotte or Highway 74 going to Myrtle Beach. They have a nice new hydroponic store there catering to a young generation of apartment dwellers that cannot afford $500+ a month for rent and $90 a quarter for hydroponic. Seems like a couple of plants might pay the rent.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on February 19, 2002 at 10:00:21 PT
lesson from the playground.......
It's amazing how fast a bully will back down when confronted......the only problem in the US is that the govt has rigged it so that you need a $2 million referendum to do the confronting....

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