Pubdate: Sat, 06 Jul 2002
Source: Charleston Gazette (WV)
Copyright: 2002 Charleston Gazette
Contact:  http://www.wvgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/77

UNFAIR

Cruel Drug Penalties

CORPORATE criminals who pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars from 
Enron, WorldCom and other looted businesses may never spend a day in prison 
- - but a generous Charleston volunteer must serve 17 years in a cell because 
he became hooked on crack cocaine.

Rigid federal sentencing guidelines mandated the severe punishment for Levi 
Phillips, 50, once a Charleston High School and West Virginia University 
basketball hero, because he was caught three times with crack.

US Judge Joseph Goodwin and federal prosecutors expressed regret at the 
cruel punishment.

"The sentence is reflective of a lifetime spent as a drug addict, but 
interspersed with extraordinary community service and a life well led by 
serving children," the judge said. "...It is virtually a life sentence. I 
don't think you deserve it, but the law says you do."

Phillips is admired in the Kanawha Valley for running youth and adult 
basketball leagues, and for leading a senior citizens group. But those 
attributes couldn't deter mandatory federal drug laws, which impose a 
minimum of 17.5 years in prison on each "career" drug offender.

Last month, Judge Goodwin told Charleston Rotary Club that US drug 
sentencing laws are painfully unfair. We agree.

As we noted Tuesday, one American religious denomination has proposed that 
the billion-dollar "war on drugs" be halted, and narcotics be considered 
purely a medical problem. Such decriminalization would free hundreds of 
thousands of Americans from prison. Under that policy, cocaine addicts like 
Phillips would be sent to treatment centers.

It makes more sense than the punitive system that wrecks too many American 
families.
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