Pubdate: Fri, 09 Oct 2015 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2015 The New York Times Company Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html Website: http://www.nytimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298 Author: Ethan C. Eldon Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n556/a06.html COMMUTE PRISON SENTENCES To the Editor: Re "Toward Saner Prison Sentences" (editorial, Oct. 4): Senate legislation has been proposed that would reduce overly harsh federal prison sentences. These changes are important, but only about 12 percent of the prison population is in federal institutions. Most of the more than two million prisoners in the United States are in state and local facilities. Actions like President Obama's program to commute sentences for nonviolent offenders can give immediate relief. The Justice Department's early release of 6,000 prisoners beginning later this month is part of the president's program (front page, Oct. 7). The country's governors should follow his initiative and free the many prisoners who are suffering unduly harsh penalties for nonviolent offenses. This would reduce prison populations and the high costs of incarceration. Many drug users should have their sentences commuted. Possession or use of a few ounces of marijuana or small quantities of cocaine should not result in imprisonment. We would not think of locking someone away for possession of a bottle of scotch. Small investments in rehabilitation programs are a more intelligent solution. ETHAN C. ELDON Huntington, N.Y. The writer was chairman of Daytop Village Foundation, a drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation program, from 2007 to 2009. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom