Letter

PRISON ISN'T THE ANSWER TO DRUG-RELATED OFFENSES

The Sep. 30 article on Broome County's racially disproportionate prison
system failed to mention the controversial practice of racial profiling.
U.S. government statistics reveal that the drug war is being waged in a
racist manner throughout the nation.

Although only 15 percent of the nation's drug users are black, blacks
account for 37 percent of those arrested for drug violations, more than 42
percent of those in federal prisons for drug violations, and almost 60
percent of those in state prisons for drug felonies.

Incarceration rates are not the only cause for alarm. Prisons transmit
violent habits and values rather than reduce them. Rather than waste scarce
resources turning non-violent drug offenders into hardened criminals, we
should be funding cost-effective treatment.

Alcohol and tobacco are by far the two deadliest drugs, yet politicians do
not use scarce resources to destroy the lives of drinkers and smokers. It's
time begin pursuing policies that acknowledge the negative consequences of
both drug use and drug prohibition.

Robert Sharpe
The Lindesmith Center
Drug Policy Foundation
Washington, D.C.