BY CEDING ON LOW-LEVEL OFFENDERS, WE GAIN GROUND IN DRUG WAR

War More A Curse Than A Cure

The discussion of drugs we choose to make illegal can be a
contentious debate. More often there's no debate at all; emotion,
knee-jerk reaction and the people who have the most to gain from
maintaining the "War on Drugs" rule the day.

As a former chief of police, I see drug policy as an issue that's far
deeper than most people realize.

Having tried the most aggressive enforcement methods, I came to
realize that we are doing far more harm than good with our present
policy. The "New Prohibition" stands no more chance of success than
did alcohol prohibition in the 1920s and '30s.

The economic forces of the black market are only increased by strong
enforcement methods. The "Drug War" wreaks havoc on our young, our
families, our communities, our institutions and foreign nations. The
innocent as well as the guilty suffer the unfortunate consequences of
this misguided policy. The cost is billions of dollars annually,
death and disease (often transmitted to non-users), public
corruption, overcrowded prisons, clogged court systems,
destabilization of sovereign governments - and there is no measurable
long-term benefit.

There is a move afoot in Florida to revamp the structuring of state
drug policies in order to reduce the unchecked growth of our prison system.

State Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, claims that the system isn't
working and locking up users and low-level dealers is ineffective,
counterproductive and expensive.

Gov. Charlie Crist, another Republican (and no relation), believes
just the opposite: that our drug laws are fair and that the system works.

Of course, it is important to note that if Gov. Crist and the many
other elected officials who have admitted to using illegal drugs in
their youth had received the same punishment the governor now
advocates for others, we would be deprived of their service today.

The point is, the use of those substances didn't destroy their
futures, but being arrested for possession most certainly would have.
How much talent and productivity have we deprived our country through
the insane policies of the last 40 years?

We are fortunate that Sen. Crist has the reasoned insight and the
political courage to suggest that a different approach should be
considered. Statesmanship is a rare commodity today and it should be
applauded when it appears.

Florida now spends well more than $2 billion a year incarcerating
almost 97,000 individuals in our prisons. Growth projections show
that in the next five years the prison population will grow to 125,000.

Meanwhile, Florida is facing unprecedented economic woes. We are now
No. 2 in the nation in home foreclosures, and our state and local
revenues are dropping drastically; yet our prison budget is
increasing. Moral arguments against harsh drug policies seem to fail
and it may be economic realities that become the catalyst for change.

It is a well known fact that education keeps people out of jail and
deters recidivism. So, why are we withholding education to an
increasing percentage of our population and dooming them to a
perpetual revolving door in and out of prison?

Likewise, we've learned that education reduces tobacco smoking;
between 1965 and 1998 we dramatically reduced tobacco usage in this
country without arresting a single person. We can educate people
about the perils of substance abuse and make a substantial impact on
our drug problem, or we can incarcerate them, squander our scarce
resources, and make thing worse.

The drug war has failed to accomplish its goals. Law enforcement
acknowledges drugs are more available today than ever. If we cannot
keep drugs out of our prisons, how then will we keep them out of our
communities or our children's schools?

The time has come for our wonderful state to take inventory of the
failures of present drug policy that have cost us so dearly in
dollars and human misery. Charlie Crist holds a distinguished place
in our state government, and may well go on to serve in a high
national office. Would we be better served if future governors are
lost because of youthful experimentation?

Substance abuse (both legal and illegal) is a problem now and will be
in the future, but the "War on Drugs" has proven to be more of a
curse than a cure.