TWO IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR SUMMER STUDY IN INDIANA

Summer study committees of the Indiana General Assembly are tackling
two important issues. They're even related, so perhaps suggestions
will be merged later on and discussed by one group. The issues:

♦Prison sentencing reform. A bill calling for major reforms that
would save millions and reduce prison crowding by making greater use
of alternative sentencing was drafted based on some think-tank
recommendations. The proposal crashed and burned last term, though,
over objections by county prosecutors that it was soft on crime.

♦Marijuana law softening. State Sen. Karen Tallian, D- Portage,
who introduced the bill creating the study committee, says most of the
2,000 responses she has received from constituents have been
responsive to the idea of treating marijuana more like alcohol. The
response from those in law enforcement has been, to be charitable,
more mixed.

On prison reform, the General Assembly is trying a new approach - two
different committees will discuss separate aspects of the change
proposals. One committee will tackle theft and drug sentences. The
other will take on sex-related sentences and may also work on drug
proposals. It is hoped that this approach will yield better results
than the last effort. Indiana's prisons are near capacity, so the dual
goal is to save money and have more sensible sentencing - making sure
the worst criminals get the severe punishments they deserve, without
clogging prisons up with low-level offenders. Even if legislators can
be convinced of the need for changes, winning over the prosecutors
will remain a formidable challenge.

On marijuana, it's unclear whether legislators will merely try for a
medical marijuana proposal or swing for the fences with a
decriminalization proposal, but the fact that the issue is being
discussed at all in the legislature is remarkable for this state.
Thirteen states have eased penalties for having small amounts of
marijuana, and medical marijuana is now available in 16 states. The
benefits of medical marijuana are hotly debated, but there's no
question that Indiana's pot laws are among the nation's most
draconian. Possession of a small amount can be punished by up to a
year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

We tend to want to just lock people away and not think about them
anymore. That's not good for the prisoners, or for us. Sooner or
later, most of those people are going to get out of prison, and we
have to deal with them the way they come out and not the way they went
in.

Likewise, it isn't smart to devise punishments and sentences and never
think about them again. Times and circumstances change, and the
General Assembly can no longer afford to just get tougher on crime
without acknowledging the financial implications of that decision.