Pubdate: Wed, 31 May 2000 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2000 The New York Times Company Contact: 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 Fax: (212) 556-3622 Website: http://www.nytimes.com/ Forum: http://www10.nytimes.com/comment/ Section: Letters Author: David C. Levin NEW YORK'S DRUG LAWS To the Editor: Re "Drug Laws That Destroy Lives" (editorial, May 24): A disgraceful unintended consequence of locking up thousands of non-dangerous drug addicts is that more than 94 percent of those sent to prison for drug crimes are people of color. This is so despite the fact that members of minority groups use drugs in about the same proportion as white people. Our drug laws have also had a disastrous effect on women and children. About 70 percent of women entering our prisons are drug offenders, a large majority of whom have never been convicted of or even arrested for a violent felony. Judicial discretion must be restored in our drug laws so that in appropriate cases drug abusers can be diverted to cost-effective treatment programs and low-level sellers can take part in community service. DAVID C. LEVEN New York, May 25, 2000 The writer is deputy director of the Lindesmith Center, a drug policy group. - --- MAP posted-by: Allan Wilkinson