ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Maryland prisons are filled to overflowing with 25,000 inmates, a costly legacy of two decades of a "lock 'em up and throw away the keys" approach to fighting crime. Now the state is prepared to embark on a new approach to crime control, stressing treatment over punishment for many of the men and women who enter the criminal justice system every year. A law passed by the General Assembly this month creates the framework for diverting nonviolent offenders who abuse drugs and alcohol into treatment programs instead of prisons and jails. It was approved with support from a broad coalition that included Gov. Robert Ehrlich, the Legislative Black Caucus and conservative Republican lawmakers. [continues 873 words]
Re: "Crystal meth available in every neighbourhood, police say," The NOW, Saturday, April 17. I see that prohibition is working as well as it always has. Nearly all the harm done to users and non-users alike by illegal drugs is because the drugs are prohibited. Thousands were poisoned by adulterated booze during Prohibition and thousands more are dying today because of adulterated drugs, an aspect of government policy my wife and I became well acquainted with when our 19-year-old son, Peter, died shortly after ingesting some street heroin in 1993. [continues 143 words]
The federal government is cracking down on doped-up drivers. Yesterday the Liberal government tabled measures to aid law enforcement by giving police the power to conduct tests and demand a saliva, urine or blood sample from those suspected of being stoned behind the wheel. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said the legislation will effectively make voluntary measures mandatory. Refusal to comply would be a criminal offence. "All we're doing is providing the police with the necessary authority, the necessary power, to engage in drug-related testing in the same way they do alcohol-related testing," he said. [continues 213 words]
For at least another year, elementary students in the Moline School District will take part in Drug Abuse Resistance education, or DARE. Moline School Board members voted 5-2 Monday night to keep the program at the elementary level for the 2004-05 school year. District officials said mixed research data on DARE's effectiveness has left them with a few concerns, so they plan annual reviews of local and national data. Those who voted in favor of the drug and peer pressure prevention effort said they see it as "much more than just an hour in the classroom." [continues 437 words]
Rapid growth in drug-driven, illegal activity cause for concern As grows the city, so grows a whole bunch of other aspects -- more people, more businesses, more jobs, more schools, more self-help and volunteer programs. More crime. And, as pointed out at two crime prevention meetings in Grande Prairie, more law enforcement personnel is not going to keep a lid on criminal activities or prevent their expansion. Nevertheless, citizen input and the expressed concerns that the city is increasingly less safe, will help devise a strategy against crime. RCMP Insp. Bryon Hodgkin said people's suggestions, coupled with those from social agencies, will help form the basis of a formal crime prevention program that will eventually be put to city council for consideration. [continues 358 words]
Dear Editor, In a recent answer to the question, "What do you think is more dangerous to individuals and society, smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol," the Answer Girl gave several good points but also led the reader to believe that marijuana was the more dangerous of the two, which simply is not true. Marijuana is not toxic, unlike alcohol. There has never been an "overdose" on marijuana. The two are simply not in the same class of drug. It has been proven that marijuana, unlike alcohol, does not change the basic character of the user. [continues 304 words]
Pair Arrested, Husband Beaten by Police, They Say An Ottawa couple is officially complaining to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today because they say they were arrested -- and the husband beaten -- by city police earlier this year while calmly munching on bagels in a park. Paul Dehler, 45, a physiotherapy assistant at Saint Vincent's Hospital, says he was beaten by two undercover police officers who accused him of smoking marijuana. He says he was arrested, strip-searched, held in jail and charged with a series of offences. [continues 803 words]
Emergency Talks With Fantino Over Corruption Allegations Bringing in RCMP to Investigate Seen As a Key Option Toronto's Police Services Board will hold an emergency meeting with Chief Julian Fantino as early as today to discuss allegations that officers have been protecting "drug depots" and shaking down business owners to pay off gambling debts. Among the questions to be raised at the meeting is whether an independent police force such as the RCMP should be called in to investigate. "It's very upsetting and the question is: Is there just a smell or is there something systemically wrong," board chair Alan Heisey said yesterday. "The media has raised the question and I assure (you) that the board will be examining this matter very carefully." [continues 734 words]
Judge Cites Precedent Citing an Oakland case's precedent, a federal magistrate in San Francisco refused Monday to order drug testing for a Sonoma County man who has been freed from federal prison camp to appeal his medical marijuana conviction. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward M. Chen said the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling last December in Raich v. Ashcroft -- which said the federal government lacks jurisdiction over noncommercial, medical marijuana activity entirely within California's borders -- means courts must "tread very lightly" on medical marijuana issues. [continues 129 words]
Ricky Baxter would be the first to admit he's no saint. But after decades of drug abuse, he hopes sharing his life experiences can make a difference to others headed down the path of addiction. "I started with alcohol and pot," says Baxter, who grew up in Surrey. "I played really, really hard." Baxter was already using crack cocaine when he first tried methamphetamine at 17. "I thought I was living, but I realize I was only existing," he says. [continues 1091 words]
