URGE LAWMAKERS TO REFORM ROCKEFELLER DRUG LAWS

Regarding "Breaking out of the prison problem'' (commentary, May 31):
On June 18, the stark lobbies of New York state prisons will be filled
with children wriggling impatiently on hard plastic chairs, as they
wait to pass through metal detectors and locked gates. Unlike others,
their Father's Day memories will be forged under the watchful eyes of
prison guards. Many children will spend this holiday without even this
comfort because they live with relatives who cannot make the trip, or
because they live in foster homes.

More than 22,500 people are incarcerated in New York under the harsh
Rockefeller drug laws. More than 14,000 children have fathers
incarcerated under these laws. Sadly, they are the forgotten victims
of these sentencing policies.

Removing judicial discretion has a devastating impact on families.
Judges are forced to impose mandatory sentences, meant to target "drug
kingpins,'' on men who are often first-time, low-level couriers or
addicts. More than 90 percent are the primary source of financial
support for minor children, yet these laws prevent judges from
considering a man's family responsibilities.

Alternative sentencing, such as mentioned in the commentary, should
become available as alternatives to prison for first-time, nonviolent
offenders. Drug courts, treatment programs and enhanced parole reduce
recidivism are cost-effective alternatives to incarceration. By
keeping offenders closer to their family, healing can begin and the
offenders can make restitution to the community that was harmed.

We would be wise in these final weeks of session in Albany to urge our
state legislators to reform the Rockefeller drug laws and push for our
judges to dispense family-focused sentencing alternatives, which would
address public safety concerns and restore families, at a fraction of
the cost of a state prison bed.

THERESE A. DERIKART,
Director, New York Project,
Families Against Mandatory Minimums