We tend to forget as a country that our longest and most costly war has been the war on drugs. Many people believe that this is a long-failing battle, and I tend to agree. This year, drug arrests are expected to exceed 1.8 million people, and law enforcement made more arrests for drug abuse violations than any other crime in the past two years. In May, the head of the National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, said that he wanted to eliminate the idea of a "war on drugs" and instead focus on treatment as opposed to incarceration in order to reduce the drug problem. [continues 382 words]
The most surprising response to Attorney General Eric Holder's recent announcement that the federal government would cease raids or arrests in states where medical marijuana is permitted is the general lack of response. Sure, Holder was simply making good on a pledge delivered by candidate Barrack Obama. But on another level, the administration's announcement could change the entire balance, or some would say historic imbalance, where drug enforcement and punishments are concerned. Politics in practice demands nothing less than a tough posture against crime. [continues 312 words]
WASHINGTON -- In an act of merciful sanity, the Obama administration has made good on its promise to stop interfering with states that allow the medical use of marijuana. Clink-clink, hear-hear, salud, cheers, et cetera, et cetera. The announcement from Attorney General Eric Holder surely comes as a relief to the many who rely on cannabis to ease suffering from various ailments. This new, relaxed approach doesn't let drug traffickers off the hook. It merely means that 14 states that now provide for some medical marijuana uses no longer need fear federal raids on dispensaries and users operating under state law. [continues 667 words]
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana's prisons are experiencing an increase in inmate assaults and attacks on staff -- a trend the state's prison chief blames largely on overcrowding caused by inadequate funding for new beds. In the first half of 2009, Indiana's prisons had 514 inmate-on-inmate attacks, 62 of which caused serious injuries. That compares with 719 such attacks, 101 with serious injuries, during all of 2008, The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne reported on Sunday. Edwin Buss, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction, said the shortage of bed space in parts of some state prisons has created a volatile situation. [continues 475 words]
To the editor: I wrote to you in April asserting that Indiana and the United States should drop the war on drugs. Instead of criminalization, we should regulate certain drugs as we do alcohol. Since then, lawmakers in 14 states have begun considering the legalization of marijuana. Since that time 14 states are considering legalization of marijuana. The Obama administration has floated the idea as well. Recently, a columnist in the The Guardian newspaper of London called for an end to the drug war: "The anti-drug crusade will go down as among the greatest foibles of modern times," John Gray wrote. "The fact is that the costs of drug prohibition now far outweigh any possible benefits the policy may bring." Empty our prisons of drug users. Save money. Use money to treat, not imprison. F. Wesley Bowers Evansville [end]
As a retired Michigan police officer, I heartily agree with the comments of Alex Derry (Readers' Forum, June 22). Many of us in law enforcement would appreciate the major drop in crime when we repeal this prohibition. In a post-prohibition world we could do an effective job protecting our children from predators and all of us from the deadly DUI. Our troops in Afghanistan would no longer be killed by bullets bought by the profits from the drug trade. Someone please tell me all the positive benefits, good outcomes of this "Modern Prohibition" which make it worth keeping. I never read or hear of any. Officer Howard Wooldridge (retired) Founding Member of LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (www.leap.cc) Washington, D.C. [end]
I've been following the ongoing debate in the opinion section of the Tribune-Star concerning the legalization of marijuana. It seems as though we as Americans suffer from memory loss, or it's possible that there are those among us who don't know American history. He who knows not history is destined to repeat it. On Jan. 16, 1920, the Volstead Act was enacted. The Volstead Act, also known as The National Prohibition Act, banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Prohibition became known nationally as "The Noble Experiment" and an experiment it was. The result of the experiment was complete and total failure. As a matter of a fact, Prohibition was one of the most monumentally failed social experiments in the history of America. [continues 335 words]
Bob Rinearson's rationalization ("War on drugs important to nation's future, and worth every dime spent," May 7) to continue cannabis (marijuana) prohibition is ignorant. Perhaps it's time for Rinearson to stop thinking of cannabis as a drug and start thinking of it as a plant. God created all seed-bearing plants, saying they are all good on the first page of the Bible. A sane and moral argument to continue caging humans for using the plant cannabis doesn't exist. Caging humans for using cannabis can only be rationalized based upon personality traits associated with bigotry, racism or discrimination. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
Columnist Bob Rinearson on May 7 made the common mistake of assuming that punitive drug laws actually reduce use. The drug war is in large part a war on marijuana, by far the most popular illicit drug. The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study reports that lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any European country, yet America is one of the few Western countries that criminalizes citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis. Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. The short-term health effects of marijuana are inconsequential compared to the long-term effects of criminal records. Unfortunately, marijuana represents the counterculture to many Americans. [continues 99 words]
Shirley A. Thomas' letter ("Marijuana is a dangerous drug", May 27, 2009) wants people to believe cannabis (marijuana) is a dangerous drug, but relatively speaking it is neither. Cannabis is less addictive than coffee, safer than beer, wine or whiskey and hasn't killed a person in over 5,000 years of documented use, while cigarettes kill over 1,000 Americans daily. Is it 100 percent safe? No. Should underage youth use the relatively safe, God-given plant? No. Should responsible adult humans be caged for using the plant cannabis? No, absolutely not. Should citizens lose their jobs for using cannabis after work instead of drinking a glass of wine? No, that's discrimination. [continues 61 words]
To letter writer Michael T. Lawson, who recently wrote that marijuana isn't addictive and that there are no withdrawal pains: Are you nuts? I am a college educated woman who has had personal experience with what the use of this drug can do to a person. I have seen users become violent and abusive if they didn't have their daily fix. I have seen users explode with anger. I am neither uninformed nor ignorant about what this drug will do to a person. I have seen users steal, lie, and cheat their families of money that was needed to pay rent and buy groceries so they could buy a joint. [continues 250 words]
I’m responding to the outstanding letter on Saturday from Michael T. Lawson: “Yes, marijuana use should be legalized”. I’d like to add that one of the medications prescribed by my personal physician for my arthritis pain and inflammation, has the rare potential side effect of death. In other words, if I take this medication as prescribed, I can die as a result. On the other hand, marijuana has never been documented to kill a single person in the 5,000 year history of its use. [continues 76 words]
In a couple of previous letters (pertaining to marijuana), I left out what should be considered a very pertinent fact. Shirley A. Thomas says she's a "college educated woman." What degree does she have, and in what field? A relative of mine has a master's degree in psychology. He worked his way up (while working on his master's) from suicide hot-line counselor to the top dog at San Diego County Mental Health in California. All the while, he was a marijuana user! It certainly ruined his life; didn't it? My relative and I both know "many" college graduates who don't have sense enough to come in out of the rain. He would, and has recommended its use to many of his clients. And, yes, I do (and so does he) advocate it's legalization. [continues 82 words]
Niles Man's Marijuana Use, While Legal, May Cost Him His Home. NILES - On a scale of 1 to 10, says Steve Allain, his pain is somewhere between 4 and 5. On a good day. "When my Crohn's flares up, it's like a saber-toothed badger trying to eat its way out," he said. The 54-year-old Niles man, a victim not only of Crohn's disease but hepatitis C and acute depression, has run the gamut of medications. Just a few months ago, he hit upon a viable alternative: marijuana. [continues 500 words]
"A lot of good has come from drugs. I think 'Penny Lane' is worth 10 dead kids. 'Dark Side of the Moon' is worth 100 dead kids. Because a lot of kids wouldn't even be born if it weren't for that album, so it evens out." - Bill Maher Jeffery Miron is a senior lecturer in economics at Harvard University. It certainly seems lately that when someone associated with Harvard speaks we all should listen, since Harvard knows what's best for America. [continues 611 words]
BLOOMINGTON -- Legalizing marijuana use for chronic pain relief would be a compassionate move and its time has come, supporters said. But opponents argue that allowing marijuana -- even for medical reasons would open the door to all sorts of abuse. Thirteen states allow marijuana use for medical reasons. Illinois legislators are considering a bill that has more support this year than when it was defeated in the Illinois Senate in 2007. Senate Bill 1381 says when a person is diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition, the patient -- with his or her physician's permission -- would be allowed to have up to seven marijuana plants and two ounces of cannabis for medical reasons. [continues 653 words]
More than a dozen teens gathered in front of the Logan Tabernacle on Monday evening to rally for the legalization of marijuana. It's 4/20, and where this is national marijuana day and we want to legalize marijuana (we came to rally)," said Jamie Gurinch, 15, of Logan. Internationally, April 20 typically motivates a series of rallies and special events among those who favor the legalization of marijuana. Dylan Lofthouse, a 14-year-old who goes to Willow Valley Middle School in Wellsville, attended with his two brothers, ages 13 and 15. He said both his mom and his step-mom would agree with the cause as well. [continues 362 words]
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb's Parade magazine article "Why we must fix our prisons" (March 29) has an important local angle. Webb laid out statistic after statistic showing the terrible stupidity of America's incarceration policies, especially when it comes to marijuana. One of the most powerful opponents of reforming marijuana laws has been northeast Indiana's Congressman Mark Souder, R-3rd. At least Souder's party is out of power now. I hope the Democrats will have the courage to establish the commission sought by Sen. Webb and give the American people sound alternatives to our destructive incarceration policies. An important step in that direction would be to stop filling prisons with pot smokers. Evan Davis Fort Wayne [end]
Mr. Jimmy Cox, Here are some of the fallacies with the things you had to say. The first issue is you started out saying "drugs," but you really only meant marijuana the whole time. I've never heard anyone claim all drugs should be legal, and if you have, then it is from a small population that won't ever really have a noteworthy backing. You then go on to talk about the issue of making drugs more available, and this leading to increased use. Although this argument sounds reasonable, it ignores reality. When I was in high school, it was considerably easier to get marijuana than alcohol. The fact that it's always illegal to acquire sets up the system to get it to you illegally, whereas alcohol requires you to ask someone to break the law for you. You cannot just pretend the broken system works. [continues 162 words]
Carroll School Board members had their annual meeting with the Student Council during the school day on March 17. Among the topics discussed were drugs, cell phones, economic impact on the schools, 10-year plan, and students' "wish list." Students were asked about Carroll students' drug use. Among high school students, the Student Council estimated that 15-20 percent are regular users of drugs, and maybe as high as 40 percent use occasionally or at least have tried drugs. Their perception is that the students use recreational drugs, not performance enhancing drugs. [continues 682 words]
It's an indictment of our fact-averse political culture that a statement of the blindingly obvious could sound so revolutionary. "Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters Wednesday as she flew to Mexico for an official visit. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border . . . causes the deaths of police, of soldiers and civilians." Amazingly, U.S. officials have avoided facing these facts for decades. This is a moral failure that has had horrific consequences for Mexico, Colombia, Peru and other Latin American and Caribbean nations. [continues 372 words]
Another beneficial component of re-legalizing cannabis (marijuana) that doesn't get mentioned (Editorial: "Legalizing Marijuana," March 9) is that it will lower hard drug addiction rates. Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, will have to stop brainwashing youth into believing lies, half-truths and propaganda concerning cannabis, which creates grave future problems. How many citizens try cannabis and realize it's not nearly as harmful as taught in DARE-type government environments? Then they think other substances must not be so bad, either, only to become addicted to deadly drugs. The old lessons make cannabis out to be among the worst substances in the world, even though it's less addictive than coffee and has never killed a single person. [continues 82 words]
A few years ago, I visited Mexico as part of an international delegation of journalists seeking to learn more about an enduring problem in that country, the corruption of the press. It is widely known that reporters there routinely supplement their salaries by accepting fees, bribes, even monthly stipends, from the sources they cover. However, something happened during our visit that changed the nature of the trip. The nation's chief drug enforcer, a general who operated with a presidential mandate and the backing of the Mexican army, was arrested and revealed to be on the take from drug lords. [continues 568 words]
The Illinois House committee gave the go-ahead for a plan that would legalize medical marijuana in the state. As you could assume, some people aren't too happy about this decision. However, we think Illinois is thinking along the right lines. Relieving the pain of cancer, AIDS and other diseases motivated lawmakers. By legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, people suffering ailments of all sorts will be able to use this drug for relief. We think citizens who have a doctor's permission to use medical marijuana should be able to do so. People unnecessarily endure pain and suffering from diseases every day, and medical marijuana could help. For example, marijuana has been shown to help chemotherapy patients quell their nausea. It helps curb pains without some of the side effects heavier drugs tend to have. [continues 219 words]
A former Greencastle man got what his court-appointed attorney James Recker said "might look like the deal of the century" Thursday in Putnam County Circuit Court. Thomas L. Gorham III, 28, of Centralia, Mo., was in court to be sentenced on what were originally charges of Class A felony dealing in methamphetamine and Class B felony dealing in methamphetamine. But under the terms of a plea agreement Gorham -- who spent one day in jail after being arrested and posting bond in October of 2007 -- pled guilty to one Class D felony possession of meth charge and was given an 18-month suspended sentence. [continues 446 words]
I'm writing about DJ Funkhouser's thoughtful column "It's weed, get over it." Our government is wasting countless billions of dollars attempting to eradicate an easy-to-grow type of marijuana that at least 95 million Americans have used. The net result is that the drug is just as available today as it was in the 1970s. Instead of attempting to nullify the immutable law of supply and demand, our government should regulate, control and tax marijuana. We could easily tax it at about 90 percent of its retail price. The vast majority of marijuana's current price is the result of the "prohibition tax," which is now going to organized crime. It seems to me that non-users would be very much in favor of taxing a product that they don't use. Around here, taxing somebody else's vice is very popular. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. [end]
Owensville Faces Its Own Big Crime OWENSVILLE, Ind. -- The items displayed in the glass case in Rodger Leister's office are visual aids about the dope business. Stolen prescription pills. Marijuana pipes. Crack cocaine pipes. But the main focus of the display is methamphetamine: precursors for making it, syringes for injecting it, pieces of burnt aluminum foil after it's been smoked. "I saw my first meth lab in 1998," says the 37-year-old town marshal of the small Gibson County town (population about 1,300). "The use has exploded since then. It's practically everywhere. Definitely not just in Owensville." [continues 776 words]
It's doubtful you missed it; the president's son caught smoking weed made big headlines on campus last week. I can't really remember what our first reaction was upon hearing the news. We at the Opinion desk thought about which angle we wanted to take on the matter, addressing whether or not it was newsworthy, if he'd get the same treatment as any other student, etc. But I immediately reacted differently. Oddly, considering how much I like to poke fun at the news, none of that came to mind. Instead, I thought, "God, weed is still bad?" [continues 432 words]
Whether county efforts to dam up drug problems work, it's at least worth a try, literally. The average cost of treating an addict is about $1,500, Adam Brooks, a researcher for the Treatment Research Institute, said. That's compared to the $11,500 an addict costs a community through loss of taxes, unpaid hospital bills, crime and more. But throwing money at a solution isn't the answer, experts say. That means officials need to track treatment data to see what works. Groups need to work together and share results. [continues 1306 words]
The signs of a drug overdose become clear to Porter County Coroner Victoria Deppe before she's ever read toxicology reports and its multitude of listed drugs. "When I get toxics back, they are dirty, dirty, dirty," she said. But before the report come the clues. Deppe said she's at the point of asking a dead person's family members -- on every single call no matter what -- whether the person abused drugs. Several times Deppe has seen prescription medicine in the house of someone who died from a natural death when that person never had a prescription for the drug, she said. [continues 986 words]
It's disgusting to realize the prison industry's unions have successfully lobbied to cage more and more citizens over drug-related so-called crimes ("Drug Crimes Keep Jails Full In '08", Dec. 27, 2008, Tribune-Star), even though most are surely nonviolent in nature. It means a great Christmas for prison industry employees at the cost of freedom for citizens who are otherwise law-abiding people except for the sequel to prohibition. The prison industry unions should be proud. What a sham. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
The fallout from the local Drug Task Force situation will be with Delaware County residents for months -- perhaps years -- to come, given the likelihood of appeals and the still pending report from the Indiana Supreme Court's Disciplinary Commission. But the bulk of the problem can be traced to a lack of oversight and a blatant disregard for the community's best interest that must be remedied before confidence can be restored. While the actions of the local DTF and prosecutor's office were particularly egregious, the origins of the situation can be traced to the state and the Indiana General Assembly. Legislation governing the handling of confiscated drug-related funds and property is vague, and officials in most counties are unsure exactly how the money is to be handled. With few guidelines, they have for the most part created their own procedures. The fact no money apparently has ever been sent to the designated state education fund is particularly telling. [continues 349 words]
ST. JOSEPH - The Berrien County prosecutor said he will dismiss drug charges against seven people after further investigation into the alleged misconduct of a former police officer. Andrew Thomas Collins, 26, a former Benton Harbor police officer, was arrested Dec. 2 on drug trafficking charges, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Grand Rapids. The indictment claimed Collins used his position as an officer to keep the drugs. He was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of crack cocaine, according to a news release from Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney. Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur J. Cotter said his office met with FBI investigators Monday to review the case. [continues 318 words]
MUNCIE -- Local women in need of drug and alcohol rehabilitation services are often left with limited options in Muncie. And that's especially true if they are coming home after spending time in Indiana's jails and prisons. "Basically, they just go back to the same environment they left," said Karen Watson, who ministers to women in the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. "If they have a good environment, they're lucky. If they have a bad environment, then they end up ... back on drugs or in prison." [continues 432 words]
TERRE HAUTE -- As Santa's boots shuffled across Wabash Valley rooftops early Thursday morning, for hundreds of area residents it was just another day in jail. The Vigo County Jail population was 280 Friday afternoon, about 12 over the maximum allowed but nothing unusual. "It might be just a hair more but not a big difference," Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt said in reference to jail overcrowding being the norm. "That's a constant battle." Neighboring counties also posted normal numbers, ranging from the high end in Clay County at 97 down to Sullivan County's 63, jail personnel in those counties reported. [continues 126 words]
ALPARAISO - County officials are being forced to find a new source of funding for a drug and alcohol treatment program for inmates at Porter County Jail. The intensive outpatient program Porter-Starke Services ran had been funded by a $25 fee charged of everyone booked at the jail, Porter County Commissioner Bob Harper said. The state, however, ended that fee over the summer on grounds it was not fair, Harper said. That has left the county with a quickly diminishing amount of money for the program. [continues 111 words]
Tough legislation regarding cold medications might cause annoyance at the pharmacy, but in the trenches of Illinois' fight against crime, many credit it with lowering that state's overall criminal activity in 2007. In November, the Illinois State Police announced the state's overall crime rate fell by 3.6 percent in 2007, with reports of homicide and motor vehicle theft realizing the biggest decreases. Law enforcement agencies throughout the state reported a total of 456,085 indexed crimes in 2007, compared to 470,730 in 2006, according to the ISP's Uniform Crime Report. [continues 795 words]
The Berrien County prosecutor is in a haze about Michigan's medical marijuana law. Weeks after voters passed the referendum establishing the program, the state has failed to effectively communicate rules in place or to seek input on details that still must be worked out. That's not the best start for an initiative few law enforcement officials have backed. Sixty-three percent of Michigan voters on Nov. 4 made the state the 13th in nation, as well as the first in the Midwest, to legalize medical marijuana. The vote, of course, failed to end the measure's controversy. [continues 332 words]
This is the sixth and last in a weekly series of stories leading up to the presidential election examining the candidates' positions on various issues that affect northeast Indiana residents. Barack Obama used cocaine and marijuana as a teenager and says he could have ended up in prison if he didn't straighten out. John McCain's wife stole from her charity to feed her addiction to prescription painkillers, and he frequently sprinkles 12-Step philosophy language in his speeches and books. [continues 1055 words]
MUNCIE - A Delaware County sheriff's deputy received a 15-day suspension without pay this week after he was arrested for drunken driving this summer at an Indiana State Police "sobriety checkpoint." Ray A. Dudley, 39, also entered into a deferral program with the Delaware County prosecutor's office for first-time offenders, and will have the drunken driving charge erased after a year following completion of the program. The traffic stop resulted in formal misdemeanor charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol count of .08 or more. Dudley's BAC tested at .10 percent. [continues 208 words]
County Directs Warrants Officers To Be Vigilant For Illegal Substances Mark Reed smelled it from the front porch Tuesday. Banging on the door of a red house in the 400 block of DeWald Street, the Allen County police warrants officer was looking for a sex offender wanted for a parole violation. Several of Reed's fellow officers surrounded the home, peeked into windows and talked to neighbors. The last time they came to the home, months before, they arrested the man asleep on a couch inside. This time, they struck out. Nobody was there, but … [continues 951 words]
Pathway treatment center wants to expand facility here to fight teen drug use. MICHIGAN CITY - Experimenting with addictive drugs quickly leads adolescents to tragic consequences, according to Laurie Franke-Polz, community liaison for Pathway Family Center, a not-for-profit treatment center. "Drug use has four phases, the first being experimentation, often trying drugs because of peer pressure. This rapidly leads to phase two, recreational use. Phase three is the severest, where the person cannot survive without the drug," she said. [continues 1180 words]
A new statewide survey indicates that among Indiana high school students, cigarette smoking is holding steady or declining, but use of snuff and chewing tobacco could be edging upward. Overall youth drug use by sixth-through 12th-graders in Indiana is down, according to latest annual survey by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Daily use of smokeless tobacco by ninth-grade students has gone up slightly, from 1.5 percent in 2001 to 1.9 percent in 2008, the survey showed. [continues 440 words]
MUNCIE -- The Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force and former Police Chief Joe Winkle went on a spending spree last year with forfeited drug money, including expenses for a personal trainer and a 50-inch plasma television for the city hall gym. Even bigger expenses questioned in a State Board of Account audit of 2007 city spending include payments of $31,199 for two high-end sport-utility vehicles for DTF officers, and paying off the remaining $17,873 loan balance on accused drug dealer Adrian Kirtz's confiscated 2003 GMC Denali that sits in storage. [continues 548 words]
The city will continue to pursue appointment of a special prosecutor to review local forfeiture cases. MUNCIE -- Delaware Circuit Court 2 Judge Richard Dailey on Wednesday concluded his series of hearings on the handling of forfeitures and seizures in local drug-related cases, making no finding of criminal activity. "That is something left to someone else to do," said Dailey, referring to a grand jury or special prosecutor. Dailey reviewed 10 more cases Wednesday in which the Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force, Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney and Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman used confidential settlements or affidavits to seize and disperse the money and assets of alleged drug dealers. [continues 363 words]
MUNCIE -- Mark McKinney maintains he has not "done anything wrong" in accepting payment for work on civil forfeiture cases after taking office as Delaware County prosecutor in January 2007. "That was for work I did before I took office," McKinney, who was a deputy prosecutor for several years before his November 2006 election, said during a Friday interview. "I never billed the city for anything after I took office." McKinney was paid $5,969 in attorney fees in 2007, however, on a handful of civil forfeiture cases, with $4,193 for the seizure of property and money from accused drug dealer Adrian Kirtz. That case is among those being investigated after the Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force and McKinney, acting as its attorney, allegedly distributed more than $50,000 in cash and other property through a confidential settlement after a judge had ordered the assets frozen. [continues 679 words]
HOBART -- The Hobart School Board is preparing to adopt a new drug-testing policy in which students in grades seven through 12 would be subjected to random drug tests. School officials will determine when the unannounced urine drug tests are administered. Students who drive to school or participate in athletics and other voluntary extracurricular activities will be selected at random for the alcohol and drug testing. "We just want to be proactive," School Board President Terry Butler said Thursday after the drug policy passed on a first reading. [continues 98 words]
MUNCIE -- New rules governing local drug forfeiture cases could end the practice of the Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force and its attorney, County Prosecutor Mark McKinney, of seizing -- and spending - -- money from alleged drug dealers without court orders. Delaware Circuit Court 2 Judge Richard Dailey on Thursday gave local officials a draft of those rules, which would require criminal cases to be disposed of before any civil drug forfeiture is ordered. And forfeitures would be handled by an attorney under written contract who is either not a deputy prosecutor or a salaried deputy prosecutor not assigned to any criminal prosecutions. [continues 527 words]
The Issue: United States Is World's Largest Jailer Two reports by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics show that the rate of growth in the prison and jail populations of the United States has slowed slightly but that the country still has the dubious distinction of being the largest jailer in the world. As of June 30, 2007, the country held roughly 2.3 million people behind bars, either in local or state jails or in federal prisons. [continues 326 words]
The number of Hoosiers who died from drug overdoses increased 147 percent from 1999 to 2004, a trend driven by the growing abuse of prescription medications, according to a new study. The problem, experts say, has shown no sign of abating and is expected to worsen. "This is the new major drug epidemic for the next generation," said Eric R. Wright, director of the IU Center for Health Policy and one of the authors of the study "Fatal Drug Overdoses: A Growing Concern in Indiana." [continues 1078 words]
Inside Indiana
