Pubdate: Sun, 01 Nov 2015
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n604/a05.html

A KINDER, GENTLER WAR ON DRUGS?

Re "Drug courts, now," Opinion, Oct. 29

Drug courts are based on the premise that the criminal justice system 
has a role in health interventions. This has far-reaching implications.

Drug courts seek to divert nonviolent drug offenders into treatment. 
All illicit drug use is considered abuse. If the drug court concept 
were applied to alcohol, people who drink an occasional glass of red 
wine with dinner could be forced into unwanted substance-abuse treatment.

Treatment is indeed cheaper than incarceration for taxpayers. It's 
cheaper still for government to mind its own business and leave 
adults who aren't harming others alone.

There is an effort underway to create a kinder, gentler drug war by 
marrying the for-profit prison industry to a growing for-profit 
treatment industry. This is an ominous development.

Robert Sharpe Washington The writer is a policy analyst with Common 
Sense for Drug Policy.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom