GROUPS SHOW CONCERN ON ANTI - DRUG BID

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A coalition of civil rights and health groups expressed
concern Thursday that President Bush's choice to lead the nation's fight
against drugs would sacrifice prevention and rehabilitation programs in
favor of punishing users.

The Coalition for Compassionate Leadership on Drug Policy also criticized
John Walters for denying that young black men are disproportionately jailed
on drug charges and for opposing reforms to mandatory minimum sentencing
requirements.

The coalition does not endorse or oppose nominees, but individual members
spoke harshly about Walters, promising serious opposition if he does not
soften his views.

"It's truly disturbing to have our nation's nominee for the top drug policy
spot be a throwback to a more intolerant and reactionary way of thinking,"
said Vincent Schiraldi of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice.

White House spokeswoman Anne Womack defended Walters as a "respected and
experienced leader in drug policy" who would oversee a balanced drug
control program.

"The White House is committed to a balanced approach toward the problem of
drug abuse in the United States, with emphasis both on demand reduction and
prevention," she said.

Hilary Shelton, director of the Washington bureau of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the groups have
taken their concerns to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"I believe you'll see many more of the organizations that are members of
the coalition taking stronger positions" after Walters' confirmation
hearing before the Judiciary Committee next Tuesday, Shelton said.

Several organizations, including the Justice Policy Institute, are sending
a letter asking senators to vote against Walters' nomination. The letter
says, "His views on race and crime make him unfit for a position that
requires sensitivity to racial fairness."

"If the prototypical drug prisoner in America were a white, middle-class
kid from the suburbs, Mr. Walters would be calling for a national state of
emergency to be declared," said Schiraldi. "I'm not really waiting to hear
the song and dance in front of the Senate."

David Carle, spokesman for Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy,
D-Vt., said he was "not aware of any senator on the committee who has made
up his or her mind about the nomination yet."

Walters, a protege of former drug policy director William Bennett, has been
called a hard-liner in the drug fight, favoring tough law enforcement
measures and being skeptical of treatment programs and other efforts to
reduce demand.