cannabisnews.com: Prosecutor Says Drug Offenders Need Treatment





Prosecutor Says Drug Offenders Need Treatment
Posted by FoM on January 18, 2002 at 10:51:56 PT
By Noel S. Brady, Journal Reporter
Source: Eastside Journal
King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng has joined a growing number of legal and medical professionals, legislators and civil rights activists in declaring the war on drugs a failure. He says it should be replaced with a new emphasis on treatment instead of incarceration.In a written statement, Maleng yesterday announced his intention to ask the state Legislature next week to consider at least two bills aimed at lowering prison sentences for some drug offenses, and redirecting the money saved on housing drug offenders to drug treatment programs.
On Monday, Maleng plans to speak in Olympia before the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, and then on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of House Bill 2338 and Senate Bill 6361.Much like measures that failed in the Legislature last year, the bills aim at reducing prison sentences for drug offenders and using the money saved to develop a new treatment-based approach to the problem.The bills call for a reduction in the seriousness of drug offenses and an end to so-called ``triple scoring,'' which nearly doubles a defendant's prison term for each prior drug offense. The seriousness reduction would mean felony narcotics prison sentences would be reduced from a base range of 21-27 months to 15-20 months.The idea was boosted last month when the King County Bar Association released a drug study report by a task force of attorneys, health care and pharmacy professionals from King County and across the state.All agreed that putting drug offenders behind bars costs more money and is less effective than devoting funds and resources to innovative treatment programs. The report included a list of recommendations for easing criminal penalties and ensuring that the money saved will help people get off drugs.According to the report, more than 20 percent of some 15,000 people in Washington's state prisons currently are serving time for drug crimes. The state pays about $20,000 per year to house a single adult prisoner. Juveniles cost more than twice that amount. At a King County Bar Association panel discussion last month, Maleng said he supports the basic notion that more money and effort should be diverted to treatment and away from incarceration for some non-violent drug offenders.``I don't agree with all the conclusions that the King County Bar Association made in its report, but the biggest decision they made was to move the debate ahead,'' Maleng said. ``We're dealing with something that really hurts a lot of people.''Police, however, aren't as eager to free people convicted of drug crimes. Bellevue police Chief Jim Montgomery yesterday said he hopes the effort to redirect the approach to fighting drugs doesn't go too far.``Using, possessing or manufacturing illegal drugs is a crime,'' Montgomery said. ``There should be a penalty attached to any crime committed by any individual. While rehabilitation has its merits, it should not be the only repercussion for those who commit this crime.''Complete Title: Prosecutor Says Drug Offenders Need Treatment, Not More Jail Time Source: Eastside Journal (WA)Author: Noel Brady, Journal ReporterPublished: January 18, 2002Copyright: 2000 Horvitz Newspapers, Inc.Website: http://www.eastsidejournal.com/Contact: letterstoeditor eastsidejournal.comRelated Articles:Doctors, Lawyers, Pharmacists Push Drug Reform http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11563.shtmlDrug War Failed, New Report Says http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11562.shtmlA Unified Call To End War on Drugs http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11558.shtml 
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on January 19, 2002 at 09:34:12 PT
Offenders say prosecutors need treatment
Marijuana activist Iam Inprison has joined a growing number of people with a human conscience in declaring the war on drugs a miserable exercise in class hatred, negative spirituality, racist population control, abuse of the mentally ill, and scapegoating of youth. He says it should be replaced with a new emphasis on treatment instead of incarceration of its perpetrators.In a written statement, Inprison yesterday announced his intention to ask the state Legislature next week to consider at least two bills aimed at lowering prison sentences for some marijuana prosecutors, and redirecting the money saved on sending marijuana prosecutors through psychiatric treatment to cure them of the hostile personality disorder that has led them to destroy the lives of so many people.
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Comment #1 posted by DdC on January 18, 2002 at 17:08:10 PT
I Ain't Sick So Don't Try and Fix Me!
No thank you, forcing treatment on me,
the pleasure I'm having might prove contagious, 
but pleasure isn't harmful outside of puritan circles.
And caging folk's for treating illness themselves
went out with the middle ages heratic charges.
Maybe someone should tell the Pope and Pat Robertson.
Don't get me wrong. if treatment is warrented. 
by all means it should be available to those seeking it, 
not forced, as an alternative to jail.Its really bad, what the world sees in our WoD,
in the corporatist sponsoring their products over Gods.
In the tyranical torturing of the countries most frail,
Those choosing natural remedies over mans adulterations. 
With all this abuse of power, now including hempseeds as a narcotic, 
preventing the farmers from growing, 
killing the wild ditchweed with corporate poisons, 
and arresting 700 more thousand maintaining dysfunction.So what possible defense, could a healthy user present, other than possibly preventing the illness and stresswith the nutritional seed and re-creational ganja. 
In rejecting the chemical manipulations, 
and expectoring out unwanted pollutants and toxins 
while regulating ideal body fat in the body.
Used treating obesity and wasting syndrome Why treat me to an asyllum?
Ungrateful as it sounds, I ain't sick don't try to fix me! 
And if I am, jail sure as hell won't heal me, 
and since when does the Congress work for Monsanto? 
Who would ban research grants without vested ignorance? 
I feel my money would better be served 
with all three of the DC ho House members in Betty Ford.
Peace, Love and Liberty
DdC
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