NATIONAL DRUG POLICY DISCUSSED AT NEW MEXICO CONFERENCE

A conference on drug-policy reform in Albuquerque this week is
bringing together religious leaders, elected officials and others who
are challenging the federal government's war on drugs.

One speaker Thursday was Dorothy Gaines, a 43-year-old mother of
three from Mobile, Ala., who spoke of the need to take a different
look at government policy so that it doesn't unfairly target
individuals.

"This is a war on people not on drugs," Gaines said. "We have people
in jail that have never seen drugs but they're doing time. Like me."

Gaines was one of the featured speakers at the "Drug Policies for the
New Millennium," an international conference organized by The
Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation to propose drug policy
reform.

Convicted by a Mobile jury in 1994 for conspiracy to distribute
crack-cocaine, Gaines has continued to maintain her innocence.
Although there was no physical evidence against her in the case, she
was convicted on the sole testimony of admitted drug dealers in
exchange for reduced sentences. She was sentenced to 20 years in
prison.

After an extensive letter-writing and petition-collecting campaign by
her son, Phillip, Gaines received clemency from President Clinton
last year after serving nearly six years of her sentence.

"I thank God for President Clinton," Gaines said.

She is currently organizing a Mobile chapter of Families Against
Mandatory Minimum, a national organization working to reform federal
and state mandatory sentencing laws that remove judicial discretion
in drug cases.

Mandatory minimum sentencing laws force judges to hand out fixed
sentences, without parole, to people convicted of certain crimes.
These mandatory sentences must be imposed regardless of a person's
role in the crime or other factors.

Other featured speakers this week include Rep. Maxine Waters,
D-Calif., New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky
Anderson.

The conference concludes Saturday.