Pubdate: Thu, 29 Apr 2004
Source: Spectrum, The (UT)
Copyright: 2004 The Spectrum
Contact:  http://www.thespectrum.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2483
Author: Ken Scarbrough

MONEY FOR DRUG WAR WASTED ON PRISONS

This war on drugs is the biggest policy failure in the history of America. 
We cannot spend our way out of the problem, we cannot incarcerate our way 
out of the problem, and we cannot say double the efforts when the efforts 
we've made are such a failure.

What's the cost of that failure? It's the resources squandered on our 
present approach that should have been used to help addicts become clean,

What's the cost of that failure? It's the cost of lives spent behind bars, 
the damage of children being raised without a mother or father because of 
incarceration.

The cost of that failure is that so much could have been done for 
rehabilitation instead.

All across the country, addicts are being turned away from treatment 
centers due to lack of beds and/or funds.

People are addicted to drugs that were prescribed to them by their family 
doctors, but we do not look at the doctors as violent drug pushers.

The desire for people to alter their state of mind cannot be punished out 
of them. It's time for a serious wake-up call, America. Let's educate 
ourselves so that we might take a more compassionate view on the war on 
drugs. For more information, visit http://utah.usmjparty.com

Ken Scarbrough

founder, Utah Marijuana Party

LaVerkin 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake