CCAJ CAMPAIGN GOES BEYOND SOUTH COUNTY

To the Editor of THE EAGLE:

There seems to be a widespread impression that the Concerned Citizens
for Appropriate Justice believe that there should be one drug policy
for south Berkshire County and another policy for the rest of
Berkshire County. That could not be further from the truth.

CCAJ believes that the district attorney's current policy -- i. e,
every person who sells drugs in a school zone should be convicted of
a school zone violation and spend a minimum of two years in jail even
if the drug sold is small amounts of marijuana, the person has no
prior record, and the buyer was not a school child -- should be
changed for all of Berkshire County. It is correct that CCAJ was
formed in response to the arrests of young people after an undercover
operation in Great Barrington. For better or for worse, most of us
- -- whether we live in Pittsfield, North Adams, or Great Barrington
- -- pay closer attention to what is happening to our own kids and our
neighbors' kids than to the kids in another town. Nonetheless, CCAJ
seeks a fair and effective drug policy for the entire county, not
just south county. It would be unfortunate if the DA's current policy
remained in effect for all of Berkshire County -- black and white and
Hispanic, middle class and poor and affluent -- simply because the
young people currently facing two years in jail are from south county.

MONICA WAGNER