dpa ally summer 2011 final
TRANSCRIPT
8/6/2019 DPA Ally Summer 2011 Final
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HappyBirthday,DrugWar
ATimeforReflection–andAction
Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director
Someanniversariesprovideanoccasion
forcelebration,othersatimeforreflection,
stillothersatimeforaction.ThisJune
marksfortyyearssincePresidentNixon
declareda“warondrugs,”identifying
drugabuseas“publicenemyNo.1.”
AsfarasIknow,nocelebrationsare
planned.What’sneeded,indeed
essential,arereflection–andaction.
It’shardtobelievethatAmericanshave
spentroughlyatrilliondollarsonthis
forty-yearwar.Hardtobelievethattens
ofmillionshavebeenarrested,andmanymillionslockedupinjailsandprisons,
forcommittingnonviolentactsthatwere
notevencrimesacenturyago.Andhard
tobelievethathundredsofthousandsof
Americanshavebeenallowedtodie–
ofoverdoses,AIDS,hepatitisandother
diseases–becausethedrugwarblocked
andevenprohibitedtreatingaddictionto
certaindrugsasahealthproblemrather
thanacriminalone.
RepublicanandDemocraticgovernors
confrontingmassivestatebudgetdeficitsarenowendorsingalternatives
toincarcerationfornonviolentdruglaw
offendersthattheywouldhaverejected
outofhandjustafewyearsago.Itwould
beatragedy,however,ifthesemodest
butimportantstepsresultinnothingmore
thanakinder,gentlerdrugwar.
What’sreallyneededisthesortof
reckoningthatidentifiesastheproblem
notjustdrugaddictionbutprohibitionas
well–andthataimstoreducetheroleof
criminalizationandthecriminaljustice
systemindrugcontroltothemaximum
extentpossiblewhileenhancingpublic
safetyandhealth.
Whatbetterwaytomarkthe
40thanniversaryofthewarondrugs
thanbybreakingthetaboosthathave
precludedfrankassessmentofthecosts
andfailuresofdrugprohibitionaswellas
itsvariedalternatives.
TheDrugPolicyAllianceandourallies
inthisrapidlygrowingmovementintend
tobreakthattraditionofdenial–by
transformingthisanniversaryintoayear
ofaction.Ourobjectiveisambitious–
toattainthecriticalmassatwhichthe
momentumforreformexceedsthepow-
erfulinertiathathassustainedpunitive
prohibitionistpoliciesforalltoolong.
FortyyearsafterPresidentNixon
declaredhiswarondrugs,we’reseizing
uponthisanniversarytopromptbothreflectionandaction.Andwe’reasking
you–indeedeveryonewhoharbors
reservationsaboutthewarondrugs–
tojoinus.
InThisIssue:
2:WhatWouldYouDoWith$75Million?
3:DrugCourtsAreNottheAnswer
6:NewDirectionsforNewJersey
7:ShatteringtheTough-on-CrimeMyth
NightmareinNewMexico
8:SinceWeLastSpoke
SpecialSectionInside:
Questions?Feedback?
Welovetohearfromourmembers.
ContacttheAlly bywritingtoeditor
JagDaviesat:[email protected]
Wanttoshareoneofthese
storieswithafriend?
TheAlly isonlineat:
www.drugpolicy.org/library/ally.cfm
Summer2011
www.drugpolicy.org
NO MORE
DRUG WAR
Above: DPA Executive Director Ethan Nadelmann,
NewJimCrowauthor Michele Alexander, and
Reverend William Howard, pictured at DPA’s New
Directions conference in Newark, New Jersey.
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Ally2 Spring2011 www.drugpolicy.org
WhatWouldYouDoWith$75Million?DPACampaignPromptsPublicDebate
onNYCMarijuanaArrestCrusade
It’sashamethatNewYorkMayor
MichaelBloomberg’sproposedbudget
cutsdon’tincludewastefullawenforce-
mentpractices.
Thearreststatisticssayitall.Just
34,000peoplewerearrestedformarijuana
possessionfrom1981to1995–butin
thelast15years540,000people(!)were
arrestedformarijuanapossession.Morethan50,000peoplewerearrestedfor
marijuanapossessionin2010alone,
farexceedingthe total arrestsfrom
1981-1995.
TheNewYorkPoliceDepartmenthas
providednoevidencethatthesemassive
numbersofarrestshavedoneanything
toreducecrimeortoimprovepublic
safetyandqualityoflife.Thereisalsono
evidencewhatsoeverthatmorepeople
aresmokingmarijuanatodaythanin
the1980s.
AnewDPAreportreleasedinMarch–
amongthefirstofitskindtoquantifythe
costsoflow-levelmarijuanapossession
arrests–findsthatarrestsformarijuana
possessioncostNewYorkCitytaxpayers
approximately$75millioneachyear.
Asinglearrestformarijuanapossession,
includingallpoliceandcourtexpenses,
costsfrom$1,000to$2,000ormore,
conservativelyestimated.
DPAreleasedthereportataCityHall
pressconferencewiththreeCityCouncilmembers,alliedorganizations,
andNewYorkerswhohavebeen
arrestedformarijuanapossession.
Inastatementreleasedwiththereport,
morethan30NYC-basedorganizations
identifiedhowtheythinktheBloomberg
administrationshouldspend$75million.
Gettingarrestedformarijuanaisnosmall
matter–notleastbecauseitcreatesa
permanentcriminalrecordthatcaneasily
befoundontheInternetbyemployers,
landlords,schools,creditagencies,
licensingboardsandbanks.Morethan
70percentofthepeoplearrestedfor
marijuanapossessionareyoungpeople
aged16-29.Thevastmajorityofthemare
blackandLatino,eventhoughstudies
showthatyoungwhitesusemarijuanaat
higherrates.
What’salsoremarkableaboutthesearrests
isthatmanyofthemaretheresultof
illegalsearchesbytheNYPD,aspartofits
controversialstop-and-friskpractices.
Marijuanawasdecriminalizedin
NewYorkStatein1977–andthatlawis
stillonthebooks.Smokingmarijuanain
publicorhavingmarijuanavisiblein
public,however,remainsacrime.
Mostpeoplearrestedformarijuana
possessionarenot smokinginpublic,but
simplyhaveasmallamountintheirpocket,
purseorbag.Oftenwhenpolicestopand
questionaperson,theysay“emptyyour
pockets”or“openyourbag.”Manypeople
comply,eventhoughthey’renotlegallyrequiredtodoso.Ifapersonpullsmari-
juanafromtheirpocketorbag,itisthen
“opentopublicview.”Thepolicethen
arresttheperson.
ItisbeyondhypocriticalforMayor
Bloomberg–whooncesaidhesmoked
marijuanaandenjoyedit–towasteso
muchmoneyandtoharmsomany
people’slives.
To learn more, check out:
www.drugpolicy.org/nyc-arrests
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Drugcourts
confusepunishment
withtreatmentand
perpetuateacriminal
justiceresponsetowhatisfundamentally
anissueofhealth.
www.drugpolicy.org3Ally Spring2011
DPAReportCallsforaHealth-Based
ApproachtoDrugUse
Many,allthewayuptotheObama
administration,considerthecontinued
proliferationofdrugcourtstobea
viablesolutiontotheproblemofmass
arrestsandincarcerationofpeoplewho
usedrugs.Butasthedrugcourtsband-
wagongrows,thinktwicebeforeyou
jumpon.DPA’snewreport,Drug Courts
Are Not the Answer: Toward a Health-
Centered Approach to Drug Use ismakingwavesbycallingintoquestion
thisflawedapproach.
DPAheldtwoCapitolHillbriefingsin
Washington,D.C.,lastMarchtocoincide
withthereleaseofthereport.Wewere
joinedbytheJusticePolicyInstitute
andtheNationalAssociationofCriminal
DefenseLawyers,twogroupswhohave
alsoreleasedreportscriticalofdrug
courts.
Drugcourtsemergedinthelate1980sasoneoftheonlypoliticallyfeasible
alternativestotheharshprisonsen-
tencesenactedbylegislatorsduringthe
drugwarhysteriaofthosedays.
Butanalternativethatlookedgoodback
thendemandscriticalre-assessment
now–especiallyasbudgetdeficits
andpublicopinionincreasingly
demandmoreeffectiveandless
expensivesolutions.
Oureffortsarestirringupdebatesin
statecapitolsandcriminaljusticecircles
aroundthecountry.Within24hours
ofthereport’srelease,theNational
AssociationofDrugCourtProfessionals
(NADCP)–agroupdedicatedto
promotingandfundraisingfordrug
courts–respondedharshly,withattacks
thatignoredthesubstanceofthereport
andinsteadattackedthemessenger.
TheNADCPheldtheirownCapitolHill
briefingtwoweeksafterours,wherethey
flewinspokespeoplefromaroundthe
country–including,ofallpeople,Martin
Sheen,fatherofCharlie–totoutthe
benefitsofdrugcourts.
Thetruthisthatdrugcourtsoftenfail
toreducetimespentbehindbars,save
money,orimprovepublicsafety.Many
drugcourtscherry-pickparticipants
expectedtodowell,includingthose
withonlypettydruglawviolations
(likemarijuanapossession)whoare
notfacingsubstantialtimebehindbars
andwhodon’treallyneeddrugtreat-
ment.Meanwhile,peoplestrugglingwith
significantdrug-relatedproblemsmay
endupworseoffindrugcourtthanif
theyhadreceivedservicesoutsidethecriminaljusticesystem,beenleftalone,
orevenbeenconventionallysentenced.
Alltold,drugcourtsconfusepunishment
withtreatmentandperpetuateacriminal
justiceresponsetowhatisfundamentally
anissueofhealth.
Thefactthat1.4millionAmericansare
arrestedeveryyearfordrugpossession
isaproblemthatwillnotbesolvedby
drugcourts.Morethantwentyyears
afterthecreationofthenation’sfirst
drugcourt,muchbetterpolicyoptions
arenowbeingimplementedtoaddress
addictionanddruguse–andtofix
theproblemsofmassdrugarrestsand
incarceration.
Read the report:
www.drugpolicy.org/drugcourts
DrugCourtsAreNottheAnswer
Drug CourtsAre Not theAnswer:Toward aHealth-CenteredApproachto Drug Use
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ByGeorgeSoros,DPABoardMember
Ifthereisoneprinciplethathasguided
bothmyworkinthefinancialmarketsand
myeffortstopromotetheidealknownas
the“opensociety,”itisthefactofhuman
fallibility.ItwasanideaIfirstencoun-
teredstudyingphilosophyattheLondon
SchoolofEconomics:Wecanprove
whatisnot true,butwecannotsay
conclusivelywhat istrue.
Hencethenecessityoftheopen
society–oneinwhichanyproposition
canbefreelyandpeacefullydiscussed,challengedanddebated.
Perhapstosomestudentsthisideaof
humanfallibilitywasaphilosophical
abstraction.Buthavingescapedboth
theNaziandcommunistoccupationsof
Hungary,Isawitsimplicationsimmedi-
ately:Anyregimethatclaimstopossess
theabsolute,unchallengeabletruthis
makinganempiricallyfalseclaim–
andcanonlysustainitbyshutting
downdissent.
Ihavedevotedmylifesincethentohelp-
ingbuildopensocietiesandovercome
closedones.Today,Iamengagedinthat
fightrighthereintheU.S.
Hereinourowncountry,nothingso
resemblestheclosedsocietythanthe
tragicfailureknownasthewarondrugs.
Thewarondrugshasallthecharacteris-
ticsofaclosedsociety:Theabsolute
powersclaimedbytheauthorities,the
attempttosilencecriticsratherthan
engagethem,and,ofcourse,the
humancoststhatinevitablyresult–our
failuretodealwithaddiction,theviolentcrimeourdrugpolicieshavespawned,
andmore.
DPAhasplayedacrucialroleinpassing
medicalmarijuanalawsinmostofthe
15stateswheremedicalmarijuanais
nowlegal.Theyledthewayinreforming
NewYorkState’sdraconianRockefeller
DrugLaws.InCalifornia,theyspear-
headedProposition36,thesinglebiggest
pieceofsentencingreformintheU.S.
sincetherepealofalcoholProhibition,
whichhasdivertedmorethan
AnExtraordinaryMomentofOpportunity
DoYouKnowYourDrugWarHistory?
300,000peoplewhowerearrestedfor
possessingasmallamountofdrugs
fromprison.
Butthebackboneofthismovementis
thesupportofAmericansjustlikeyou
whoareunwillingtopayeverhigher
costs–measuredinourtaxesaswell
asourliberty–forwhateveryserious
personknows,andwhatmanypoliticians
privatelyadmit,isanabjectfailure.
DPAandsupporterslikeyouareanswer-
ingwiththevaluesofanopensociety–a
courageouswillingnesstostatethefacts,challengetheconventionalwisdomand
askthehardquestions…andasteadfast
confidencethatdoingsowillexposethe
ideologyofthedrugwarasthefailure
thatitis.
Thisis–orcanbe–ahistoricmoment,
butonlyifyouandIseizeitbyspeaking
outandpushingforchange.
1875
TheSanFranciscoBoard
ofSupervisorspasses
whatmaybethenation’sfirstanti-drug
ordinance,bymakingitamisdemeanor
offensetoownorpatronizeanopium
den.ThelawtargetsChineseimmigrants
andismotivatedbytheanti-Chinese
sentimentthatsweptacrossCalifornia
atthetime.
1914 TheHarrisonNarcoticsTaxAct,thefirstfederal
legislationintheU.S.torestrictaccess
tomedicineslikemorphineandcocaine,
ispassed.
1919 CongresspassestheNationalProhibitionAct,
prohibitingthesale,manufacture,and
transportationofalcohol.
1930 TheFederalBureauofNarcoticsiscreated.Its
commissioner,HarryJ.Anslinger,claims
thatmarijuanacausesmurderand
lunacy,andleadsapubliccampaign
againstthedrugthroughouthistenure
from1930-1962.
1933 AlcoholProhibitionisrepealed.
1937 TheMarijuanaTaxActmakespossessionor
transferofmarijuanaillegalintheU.S.
underfederallaw.
1950s -1960s PsychedelicdrugssuchasLSDand
psilocybinareconsideredpromising
treatmentsforarangeofpsychological
andpsychiatricconditions.Butasthey
becomesymbolsofyouthfulrebellion
andsocialupheaval,thegovernment
haltsscientificresearchtoevaluatetheir
safetyandefficacy.
1971 PresidentRichardNixondeclaresa“warondrugs.”
Hedramaticallyincreasesthesizeand
presenceoffederaldrugcontrolagen-
ciesandpushesthroughmeasuressuch
asmandatorysentencingand
no-knockwarrants.
1972 AbipartisancommissionappointedbyPresident
Nixonunanimouslyrecommends
decriminalizingthepossessionof
marijuanaforpersonaluse.
www.nomoredrugwar.org
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ByIraGlasser,DPABoardPresident
AsheadoftheAmericanCivilLiberties
Unionfor23years,andnowatDPA,
Ihavedevotedmyprofessionallifeto
protectingindividualrights.AndifIhave
learnedonelessonovermanydecades,
itisthis:Thegreatestdangertocivil
libertiesiswarandthefearsthatgovern-
mentencouragestojustifyit.
Waristheexcusepoliticiansusetosup-
presslibertyinthenameofemergency.
Those“emergencies”havehistorically
beenexaggerated,rightshavebeenwidelyviolated,andpeoplehavebeen
unjustlyimprisoned.Warlicensesgovern-
mentabusesthatwouldbeintolerable
underanyothercircumstances.
Theabsurdities–andthetragedies–of
thewarondrugscontinuetomount.
TheCIAandthemilitarybecameinvolved
indruginterdictionoverseas,corrupting
ourforeignpolicies.Meanwhile,hereat
homewe’veseenadangeroustrend–
amilitarizationofthedrugwarthatis
terrorizingourcommunities.
Fortheirpart,thecourts–whichoughtto
betheguardiansofourliberties–have
insteadrepeatedlycarvedoutwhatthe
lateJusticeThurgoodMarshallderidedas
“thedrugexceptiontotheConstitution.”
Thedrugwarisalsotheleading
causeoftheeviscerationoftheFourth
Amendment’sprotectionagainst
unreasonablesearchesandseizures,
rightsthatsparkedtheAmerican
Revolutionandbecameenshrinedin
theConstitution.
Butnowhereistheimpactofthewaron
drugsmoreevidentthaninthegrimcountofAmericansconfinedbehindbars.In
2009,1.66millionpeoplewerearrestedin
theU.S.fordruglawviolations.Morethan
fouroutoffiveofthesearrestswerefor
merepossession.
Considerthis:In1980,therewere
50,000peoplebehindbarsintheU.S.for
nonviolentdruglawoffenses.Thereare
nowhalfamillion.
CivilLibertiesandtheWaronDrugs
Theheavyhandofgovernment’spolice
powerusedinthiswaywouldbebad
enoughifitweretargetedagainstall
ofus.Buttheraciallydisproportionate
enforcementofdruglawshasmadethem
themostdevastatingengineofracial
subjugationsinceJimCrow.
Andforallthis–forthebillionswe’ve
spent,themillionswe’vejailed,thecount-
lesslibertieswe’veeroded–whatexactly
hasthewarondrugsaccomplished?
I’dliketobeabletotellyounothing–but
theundeniablefactisthatit’smadethe
situationmuchworse.
Thiswarhasdestroyedenoughliberties
andclaimedenoughlives.It’stimetoend
it–andtodosoinpursuitofthesocial
justicetowhichactivistsjustlikeyou
havebroughtAmericaevercloserover
thegenerations.Youhavedoneitbefore.
Nowweneedyoutodoitagain.
Nostruggleforindividualrightsand
justicehaseverbeenwonwithoutpeople
likeyou.Andmanystruggleshavebeen
wonwhenpeoplelikeyoujoinedandcametogetherandsaid“NoMore!”
1973 ThedraconianRockefellerDrugLaws
passinNewYorkState,settingthe
standardforharshmandatoryminimum
sentencesfordruglawviolations.
1973 -1977 Elevenstatesdecriminalizemarijuana
possession.
1981 RonaldReaganisinauguratedasPresident,
markingthestartofalongperiod
ofskyrocketingratesofarrestand
incarceration.
1983 LosAngelesPoliceChiefDarylGates,whooncesaid
that“casualdrugusersshouldbetaken
outandshot,”createstheDAREdrug
educationprogram,whichisquickly
adoptednationwidedespitethelackof
evidenceaboutitseffectiveness.
1995 PresidentBillClintonrejectsaU.S.Sentencing
Commissionrecommendationto
eliminatethedisparitybetweencrack
andpowdercocainesentences.
1996 Californiabecomesthefirststatetolegalize
medicalmarijuana.Overthenextdecade
andahalf,fifteenstatesandtheDistrict
ofColumbiafollowsuit.
1997 Morethan400,000peoplearebehindbars
fordruglawviolations,upfromjust
50,000in1980.
2006 Morethan26,000peopledieofaccidentaldrug
overdoseintheU.S.
NO MORE
DRUG WAR
2008 Over40,000peoplearearrestedinNewYorkCity
forsmallamountsofmarijuana,despite
thefactthatmarijuanapossessionhas
beendecriminalizedinNewYorkState
since1977.
2009 NewYork’sdraconianRockefellerDrugLaws
arerolledback.
2010 California’sProposition19,aballotmeasuretotaxand
regulatemarijuana,makeshistoryby
winningover46percentofthevote.
2010 Roughly1.7millionpeoplearearrestedforadrug
lawviolation–fouroutoffiveofthese
arrestsareformerepossession.Overall,
morethanhalfamillionpeopleare
behindbarsforadruglawviolation.
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NewDirectionsConferenceBrings
TogetherPolicymakers,Religious
Leaders,DrugPolicyScholars,and
DPAMembersandSupporters
Drugpolicymaybeanationalproblem
–butthepracticalsolutionsandpolitical
willforreformemergefrompeopleand
organizationsworkingatthecityandstatelevels.
That’swhyDPAhasdevelopeda
strategicinitiative,calledNewDirections,
tomovethedebateforward,using
daylongcommunitygatheringsas
organizingtools.NewDirectionsisabout
connectingthedotsbetweenseemingly
disparateelementsofthedrugpolicy
reformmovement.Ouraimistofacilitate
anevolutioninthinkingaboutdrug
policy–andtofosternewcollaborative
relationshipsacrossfieldsthatcanhelp
bringaboutlocalreforms.
FollowinguponthesuccessofNew
DirectionsinNewYorkCity,LosAngeles,
andWashington,D.C.,DPAco-hosted
withBethanyBaptistChurcharemark-
ablegatheringofroughly200attendees
inNewark,NewJerseyinMarch.
TheNewarkconferencewasdesigned
togetpeoplethinkinginnewwaysaboutsolutionstothecity’sandstate’s
persistentdrugproblems,especially
highlevelsofviolence.Reverend
WilliamHoward,thehighlyrespected
andpoliticallyconnectedministerwho
leadsBethany,hadreachedouttoDPA
seekinghelpinstimulatingnewideas
anddialoguesinNewark.
Theresultofourpartnershipwasan
eventatwhichDPAbroughtinleading
drugpolicyscholarsandactivistsfrom
aroundthecountryandabroad.Bethany
broughtinkeylocalpolicymakers,
includingthepolicechiefofNewarkand
theattorneygeneralofNewJersey–
whonotonlyspokebutalsostayedand
listenedformuchoftheday.Theday’s
discussionscoveredeverythingfrom
racialjusticeandsentencingreformto
marijuanalegalizationandthenegative
consequencesofcriminalization.
NewDirectionsforNewJersey
Ally6 Spring2011 www.drugpolicy.org
Above, left: Stephanie Bush-Baskette, JD, PhD,
former NJ State Commissioner of Community
Affairs and Majority Whip in the NJ Assembly,
and current director of the Center for Metropolitan
Studies at Rutgers University.
Above: Garry McCarthy, former Deputy
Commissioner for the New York Police
Department and current Director of Police for
the City of Newark.
It’sessentialthatwedoallwecanright
nowtobuildmomentumforreform.
Peopleandorganizationsarelistening
forfreshideasabouthowtomovepast
thedrugwar,andthoseonthefront
linesmustbepreparedtorespond.
NewDirectionsisanintegralpartofour
strategytobuildthefutureofdrugpolicy
–so,keepaneyeoutforagatheringin
yourareasoon!
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SuzannaMartinez
ThinksIt’sStill1987
NewMexico’snewgovernor,Suzanna
Martinez,isadisaster–athrowbackto
thedrugwarriorswhogotusintothis
messinthefirstplace.What’sdifferent
thistimeisthatpeoplearefightingback.
Martinezranforofficeonacampaign
platformthatincludeddismantlingthe
state’spopularandeffectivemedicalmarijuanaprogram.Thisemboldened
afreshmenlegislatortointroduceabill
torepealthestate’smedicalmarijuana
program–amovethatwouldhave
deprivedthousandsofseriouslyill
patientsoftheirmedicine.DPA’sNew
Mexicoofficemobilizedtoblockthis
heartlesslegislation,alertingmedical
marijuanasupporterstothethreatand
urgingthemtocontactthelegislature.
NightmareinNewMexicoAfterahugeresponsefromNewMexico
residents,thelegislatorwithdrewthere-
pealbill.DPAworkedincrediblyhardfrom
2001to2007tolegalizemedicalmarijuana
inNewMexico–andwewillnotstandby
whentheprogramisattacked.
DPAhasalsobeenworkinginNewMexico
foralmostadecadetopasslegislationre-
quiringtreatmentinsteadofincarceration
forpeoplearrestedfordrugpossession.
AlthoughsuchlegislationpassedtheHouseandSenatewithbipartisansupport–
andwiththesupportof71percentofNew
Mexicans–withthestrokeofapen,
GovernorSuzannaMartinezvetoedit,
paintingableakfutureforNewMexico’s
familiesfacingdruglawviolations.
ThousandsofNewMexicanscalledand
emailedtheGovernor,tellingtheirstories
andaskinghertotreataddictionasa
healthissue,notacriminalone.
RecentpollingbyDPAinCalifornia
showedsimilarresults.Nearlythree-
quarters(72percent)ofthosesurveyedfavoredreducingthepenaltiesforsimple
drugpossession.Thisincludedstrong
majoritiesofDemocrats(79percent),
independents(72percent),and
Republicans(66percent).
BothRepublicanandDemocratic
legislatorsinstatessuchasCalifornia,
Florida,Kentucky,NorthCarolinaand
Texasaregrapplingwithhugebudget
shortfallsandarebeingforcedtorecog-
nizethattheprisonspendingspreesofthe
pastarenolongersustainable.Inthese
statesandmanyothers,policymakersare
greetingDPA’sfindingswithenthusiasm.
The full report is available at:
www.drugpolicy.org/njcrime
DPAReportAddsSupportfor
GrowingNationalTrendtoward
DrugPolicyReform
Whenaskedtoratetheseriousness
of108offensesfoundinNewJersey’s
criminalcode,respondentsratedalmost
90percentoftheoffensesas less
serious ,andthereforedeservingof less
serious punishment,thanmandatedby
thestate’ssentencinglaws.
Forinstance,thepenaltyunderNew
Jerseylawforgrowing15marijuana
plantscanbringamaximumsentence
of20yearsbehindbars,butNewJersey
residentsratedtheoffenseatalevelof
seriousnessmandatingnomorethan
oneandahalfyears.
Thesewerethefindingsofareport
releasedbyDPAinAprilthatisgetting
attentionaroundthestateandacross
thecountry.
Thereport,Crime and Punishment in
New Jersey: The Criminal Code and
Public Opinion on Sentencing ,wasproducedbyUniversityofPennsylvania
LawSchoolProfessorPaulH.Robinson
andtheUniversityofPennsylvania
CriminalLawResearchGroup.Robinson
isoneoftheworld’sleadingcriminallaw
scholars,aformerfederalprosecutor
andformercounselfortheU.S.Senate
SubcommitteeonCriminalLawsand
Procedures.
Advocatessaythereportissendinga
joltthroughcriminaljusticecirclesand
addingforcetoanemergingnational
debate.Foryears,evidencehasshown
thatthepublicstronglysupportsalter-
nativestoincarcerationandincreased
judicialdiscretioninsentencing.Buta
growingbodyofevidenceindicates
publicsupportforamorecomprehen-
siverethinkingofcriminalpenalties.
ShatteringtheTough-on-CrimeMyth
Ally www.drugpolicy.org7Spring2011
“Iknowwhatitmeanstohaveanincarcer-
atedparent.Iknowhowitfeelstohavea
parentthatissickandonlygetstimeinjail
insteadoftreatment,”statedAvicraLuckey,
afamilymemberimpactedbysubstance
use.“GovernorMartinezcouldhave,and
shouldhavesignedthisbilltohelpfamilies
likemine.”
In2007alone,NewMexicospent$22million
toincarceratepeoplefornonviolentdrug
possession–andthatdoesn’tevenincludeotherdruglawviolationssuchasdrug
dealing,manufacturingortrafficking.
Inthepastdecade,NewMexicohasmade
morestridesthananyotherstateinreduc-
ingdrugmisuse,overdoseandaddiction
throughahealth-orientedframework.But,
withMartineznowinoffice,weneedyour
supportmorethaneversothestatecontin-
uestobeamodelfordrugpolicyreform.
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•Coloradoisattheforefrontofefforts
bothtolegalizemarijuanaandto
reformdrugpoliciesmorebroadly.InMay,DPAexpandeditsstate-based
advocacybyappointingArtWayas
DrugPolicyManagerinColorado.
Waybringssubstantialpublic
policyandcriminaljusticereform
experiencetothisnewpositionat
DPA.Buildingonrecentstatewide
reforms,DPA’sprioritiesaretomini-
mizetheroleofthecriminaljustice
systeminaddressingdrug-related
issues,toincreasestatewidesupport
forhealth-centereddrugpolicies
suchasexpandedaccesstosterile
syringes,andtohelpcreatethecli-
mateforasuccessfulvoterinitiative
tolegalizemarijuanainColoradoas
soonas2012.
•DPAhasconfirmedthatDenverwill
bethehostcityforthe2013
InternationalDrugPolicyReformConference–somarkyour
calendarsandbeinDenveron
October23-26,2013!
•HaveyoutakenalookatDPA’sweb -
site–www.drugpolicy.org–recently?
Notonlydoesithaveanewlookand
feel,butit’salsore-structuredto
provideeasy-to-accessinformation
andactionopportunitiesonawide
rangeofissues.Takeitforaspinand
letusknowwhatyouthink!
SinceWeLastSpoke
Ally8 Spring2011 www.drugpolicy.org
Ifyou’reworkingtobringaboutdrugpoliciesbasedonscience,compassion,healthand
humanrights,youcan’taffordtomissthis
extraordinarygathering!
Registration:SignupbySeptember 9andsave$100
Scholarships:ApplybyJune 30tobeconsideredforfinancialassistance
SponsorshipandExhibitBooths:ConfirmbyJune 15fora5%discount
InternationalDrugPolicyReformConference
November2-5,2011LosAngeles,CA
www.reformconference.org
•DPA’songoingseriesofartauctions
–knownasre:FORM–madeitsLos
AngelesdebutinFebruary.More
than70artistsdonatedartworkfor
thebenefit,includingFrankGehry,
AlexandraGrant,SteveRodenand
EdRuscha.FilmmakerGusVanSant,
picturedabovewithDPAManaging
DirectorofPublicPolicyJillHarris,
servedasco-chairalongside
DPAboardmemberandCODEPINK
co-founderJodieEvans.