AMEND THE DRUG LAWS

To the Editor:

Re "For a Paralyzed Inmate, Rigid Drug Laws Are the Crueler Trap" (Our
Towns column, April 16): The Rockefeller drug laws, passed in 1973, require
a minimum sentence of 15 years to life for the sale of two ounces or the
possession of four ounces of a narcotic substance. The penalties apply
without regard to the circumstances of the offense or the individual's
character and background.

Also, these drug laws do not distinguish between minor and major
participants in the drug trade. A drug kingpin is hardly ever caught
carrying narcotics, while a low-level drug courier might be picked up on
the street and charged with a felony. New York policy makers can stop the
miscarriages of justice by enacting an amendment to the Rockefeller drug
laws that allows judicial discretion in narcotics cases.

Robert Gangi, Executive Director, Correctional Association of New York, New
York, April 17, 2000