DRUG WAR SIMPLY ISN'T WORKING

Our View

We need a balanced approach to drug crime that includes both incarceration
and treatment.

Massachusetts state Sen. James P. Jajuga, D-Methuen, thinks we need to
takea new look at the way we handle those convicted of drug crimes. The
senator, a former state police lieutenant and leader of the Essex County
Drug Task Force, has long been an advocate of the
lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key approach.

Now, he says, he wonders if mandatory minimum jail sentences are working.
He asks if we should not consider doing more with drug treatment than with
incarceration.

We don't know what is prompting Sen. Jajuga's shift in position.

But he is absolutely correct.

It is clear that the hard-line "War on Drugs" is not working. More people
are in jail for drug offenses than for other types of crime. Drug offenders
are serving longer sentences than those convicted of rape and murder.
Nationally, billions are spent trying to stop the flow of drugs across our
border. We are supporting the training of armed forces in places like
Colombia in an attempt to stop production of cocaine.

Despite all this effort, illegal drugs are cheaper and more potent than
ever. The reason they are cheap is simple economics -- there are plenty to
go around. In spite of all our efforts, drugs are plentiful on our streets.

Sen. Jajuga is right to note that something is not working here.
Legislators in Massachusetts, in New Hampshire and in every state ought to
look at their drug policies with an eye toward improvement.

The trick is to find a proper balance.

Some offenders need to go to prison for long terms -- those who are selling
drugs, committing other serious crimes to support their habits or involving
children in the drug trade need severe punishment.

For others, treatment is clearly a better choice than prison. We need to
support sufficient funding to expand the range of drug treatment available.

We opposed a ballot initiative in Massachusetts last November that would
have directed more money toward drug treatment because it was bad law. The
initiative would have allowed those caught with salable quantities of drugs
to opt for treatment rather than prison. It was a "get-out-of-jail-free
card" for drug dealers.

Finding the right balance will require thoughtful deliberation on the part
of legislators and the public.

By questioning existing policy, Sen. Jajuga has taken a first step in that
direction.