TREATMENT, NOT INCARCERATION, ANSWER TO PROBLEM

Why are we incarcerating so many people who need drug treatment?

If we treated people with drug and alcohol problems instead of incarcerating
them, we would have more money to spend on educating our children.

Aren't our children the best investment for the future? Why are priorities
so backwards? If we spend more on education we might not have such a drug
problem.

I urge you to repeal rigid mandatory minimum sentencing laws that prohibit
judges from sending addicts to treatment instead of prison. The average
federal sentence for drug offenses is seven years. For manslaughter, it's
two years. I think we have it backwards.

Please let judges use their judgment to determine who is a threat to public
safety and who is in need of help. Our children's future depends on it.

Margaret T. Denny, Maple Valley

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst