TREAT OFFENDERS

Punishment Is Deserved, But The Ultimate Goal Is More Important

No drug offenders need treatment or punishment? King County Prosecutor Norm
Maleng suggests they need both.

Maleng, one of the state's longest-serving Republican politicians, has gone
on the record supporting legislation that would decrease the amount of time
drug dealers serve in prison. The measure would save the money that would
have been spent on the additional incarceration to invest in treatment
programs tied to drug courts.

It is an exciting conversation that could bring worthwhile change.

Drug use has not diminished since the state got super-duper tough on drug
offenders in 1989 with the Omnibus Drug Act. The act raised from 13 months
to 21 months the minimum sentence given drug dealers who were caught
poisoning the culture. It also brought an automatic 10-year sentence to
four-time offenders, replacing a three-year sentence.

Despite the increased punishment and so-called deterrent, prosecutors are
filing more felony drug charges than ever before, which has resulted in the
incarceration of more nonviolent drug offenders than ever before. Around 22
percent of Washington's prison inmate population is serving time for drug
crime.

The term "nonviolent" is debatable, of course. Encouraging drug use among
children, or even adults, and setting them up for a lifetime of addiction
is quite violent. But the point is, many drug-offending criminals, with
help and recovery from drug addiction, would not likely be a threat to society.

As long as drug use is against the law, those who do drugs and certainly
those dealing drugs deserve punishment. The bills Maleng supports would not
make punishment a thing of the past. They would help bring our state closer
to the ultimate goal of eradicating drug abuse by putting more money into
treatment.

Specifically, Maleng's proposals, in the form of Senate Bill 5419 and House
Bill 2003, would take six months off of the current 21- to 27-month minimum
sentence for first-time drug dealers. They would also repeal the 10-year
penalty for four-time offenders, replacing it with a 31- to 41-month sentence.

The state would be going back to earlier days in its drug war. But this
time, all the money that would have been spent on extra incarceration time
would be funneled to drug treatment programs for criminals who are willing
to receive help.

Sympathy not necessary

Drug addiction is a public health problem. But it is a problem that a lot
of people bring on themselves, making public sympathy for or leniency on
drug addicts often hard to come by. But sympathy is not necessary to
justify less punishment and more treatment for Washington's drug offenders.
Treating users not only helps drug addicts individually, but society as a
whole.

In his testimony to state lawmakers on Monday, Maleng said what many law
enforcers and politicians involved in the drug war have come to understand:
"Drug treatment works."

Let's do what works.