Pubdate: Fri, 24 Jan 2003
Source: Des Moines Register (IA)
Copyright: 2003 The Des Moines Register.
Contact: http://DesMoinesRegister.com/help/letter.html
Website: http://desmoinesregister.com/index.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/123
Author: Frank P. Belcastro
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

DRUG OFFENDERS TAKING UP SPACE IN IOWA PRISONS

In their Jan. 17 essay, "Community-Based Help, Not More Prisons," Bruce 
Graves and John Shors noted that the Iowa State Bar Association 
"recommended expansion and improvement of Iowa's community-corrections 
programs as a more effective means of dealing with non-violent, drug- 
addicted offenders and alleviating the demand for more prison beds."

They also revealed that 60 percent of prisoners at the Oakdale Correctional 
Facility have committed drug-related offenses.

If 60 percent holds for the rest of Iowa's correctional facilities, then to 
decriminalize drugs (still illegal but no penalty for use or possession) as 
an alternate solution would result in more than 60 percent of our prison 
space being freed so we don't need to build more prisons, 60 percent of the 
criminal-justice system (judges, courtrooms, social workers, police) being 
free to do their intended work with victim crimes, our civil rights being 
preserved and more people being productive citizens instead of incarcerated.

Frank P. Belcastro

Dubuque.
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MAP posted-by: Beth