LETTER OF THE WEEK

EMPTY DUTCH PRISONS

By Kirk Muse

Dear Editor,

While Nebraska and many other states are trying to figure out how to
close their massive budget shortfalls, the Dutch are trying to figure
out what to do with their closed prisons.

While the Netherlands has a total population of about 16.5 million,
it has only about 12,000 prisoners. On the other hand, the United
States has greater than 2,300,000 total prisoners.

If my math is correct, we in the U. S. have 18.2 fold the Dutch
general population and 191.6 fold their prison population.

Why the glaring disparity? I suggest it's our drug policies.

In the Netherlands, adult citizens can use, buy and possess small
amounts of marijuana without criminal sanctions. In the United
States, adult citizens are subject to arrest, and jail or prison for
buying, selling or possessing various amounts of marijuana.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.

Pubdate: Wed, 20 Jan 2010

Source: McCook Daily Gazette (NE)