GET-TOUGH DRUG POLICIES DRAW CRITICISM AT SUMMIT ON METH

(Oklahoma City) -- Gov. Frank Keating led a summit on attacking the
methamphetamine epidemic Wednesday, but his get-tough policies were
criticized by a group arguing that the long war on drugs is a flop.

Several of the proposals from the summit mirrored a "Deep- Six" drug
control bill recently introduced by freshman Rep. Kenneth Corn,
D-Howe, who called Tuesday for a crackdown on manufacturers and
distributors of drugs.

The 150 people at the summit at the Governor's Mansion included many
from law enforce ment.

"The summit brought together those on the front lines of the war
against meth to search for solutions," Keating said.

As Keating called for a comprehensive plan of attack, joining law
enforcement with education and drug abuse treatment factions,
picketers from the Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma protested the
summit's emphasis on punishment.

Michael Pearson of Guthrie, the coordinator of the group, said the
police had done their job over the years, with record seizures,
arrests and incarcerations.

The problem is, he said, "the use of the criminal justice sys tem to
discourage drug abuse does not work."

"With over 7,000 people behind bars and on drug convictions and
another 9,000 on drug-related crimes, it is obvious that Oklahoma
cannot arrest its way out of the drug war," he said.

Among the recommendations growing out of the summit were requiring
people convicted of serious drug offenses -- manufacturing and
second-offense trafficking -- to serve at least 85 percent of their
sentences and removing the homestead exemption in forfeiture cases for
homes that are used for drug activities.

Pearson said the focus should be on treatment and education.