MORE SENSIBLE DRUG LAW

In the 20-plus years since the war on drugs has been under way a lot of
good has come about. And a lot of ill-conceived policies have taken root.
Regrettably, it has taken a generation for lawmakers to begin to rethink
some of the most pernicious and counterproductive of them.

In New Jersey, policy makers -- once too timid even to ask tough questions
- -- are starting to rewrite or abolish some of the more capricious laws.
That's what happening with A878, pending in the Legislature, which would
give judges discretion in suspending driver's licenses of convicted drug
offenders.

Under existing state law, a judge is required to suspend for a minimum of
six months the driver's license of a person convicted of any drug offense,
no matter how small.

No license makes it extremely difficult for ex-convicts to do the one thing
that most likely will keep them out of trouble: getting a job.

Convicted criminals who commit crimes while behind the wheel of a car are
still likely to face license suspension. But under the legislation, if the
drug offense has nothing to do with driving, the judge may opt not to
suspend the driver's license. That makes sense.

In the next five years, 70,000 inmates are expected to be released from New
Jersey prisons. Allowing judicial discretion when it comes to license
suspension would be tremendously beneficial in reducing recidivism by
helping inmates make a smooth transition back to society. Common sense and
appropriate use of judicial discretion should override
let's-get-tough-at-any-cost thinking.