HELP DRUG INMATES; DON'T RUIN THEIR LIVES

Regarding the Opinion commentary by Vicki Lopez Lukis, "Helping
ex-inmates the smart thing to do" (Jan. 7): Florida is not the only
state grappling with overcrowded prisons. Throughout the nation,
states facing budget shortfalls are pursuing alternatives to
incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders.

A study conducted by the Rand Corp. found that every additional
dollar invested in substance-abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.48 in
societal costs. There is far more at stake than tax dollars. The drug
war is not the promoter of family values that some would have us
believe. Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure,
joblessness, addiction and delinquency.

Not only do the children lose out, but society as a whole does, too.
Incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals
is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-financed
education in antisocial behavior. Turning drug users into
unemployable ex-cons is a senseless waste of tax money.

It's time to declare peace in the failed drug war and begin treating
all substance abuse, legal or otherwise, as the public health problem
it is. Destroying the futures and families of citizens who make
unhealthy choices doesn't benefit anyone. Drug abuse is bad, but the
drug war is worse.

Robert Sharpe

Arlington, Va.

Policy Analyst at Common Sense for Drug Policy in Washington, D.C.