INCARCERATION AIDS DRUG FIGHT

It would be wonderful if we could simply talk drug dealers into stopping
their drug dealing. But recent federal experience demonstrates that lengthy
and relatively certain prison sentences are a necessary component of an
effective anti-drug effort.

From 1980 to 1992, bipartisan congressional majorities established mandatory
prison sentences for many federal drug offenders. Under Presidents Ronald
Reagan and George Bush, the Justice Department adopted tough policies
requiring federal prosecutors to pursue lengthy sentences.

As a result, the average federal sentence went from about four and a half
years to more than seven years. Meanwhile, illegal drug use plummeted. In
1980, more than half of all high school seniors admitted using drugs (sold
to them by pushers The Sentencing Project classifies under the innocuous
label ''low-level actors''). By 1992, only about one in four seniors were
using drugs.

Starting in 1993, President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno
de-escalated the war on drugs, in part by adopting more defendant-friendly
plea-bargaining policies that lowered federal drug sentences. During the
Clinton presidency, drug use among high school seniors shot up by 50%.

Why is prison effective?

First, although some people are not deterred by prison, others are. In fact,
those who promote alternatives to prison almost always propose using the
threat of imprisonment to make alternative sentences more effective. If the
threat of imprisonment does not deter dealers, why bother?

Imprisonment also incapacitates pushers. If you want to sell drugs, a jail
cell is a lousy place to be. It is a lot easier to peddle dope with access
to the streets and schools.

For dealers who are addicts, prison presents the possibility of
rehabilitation. A prison's harsh living conditions and controlled
environment provide the circumstances many need to kick their habits.

Potential prison sentences also are an effective law enforcement tool. A
threat of a defined prison term can help narcotics officers persuade
small-time dealers to provide information about larger operators.

After far too much ''experimentation'' with drugs, the last thing we need is
a dangerous experiment that abandons our most potent anti-drug tool.