REVAMP POLICY

Thank you for exposing the critical lack of substance abuse treatment
availability in South Carolina prisons in your June 12 article by
Glenn Smith. The state's current policy on illegal drug use addresses
drug addiction as a crime rather than a health issue. After years of
this policy, it is clear that drug use and abuse continue unabated,
though our legislators seem to be expecting a different result.

I testified at a couple of S.C. legislative subcommittee hearings
recently as new bills related to drug use were being considered. One
bill offered time-off sentences for inmates who participated in
prison substance abuse programs. I pointed out that such programs are
usually not available in prison (Department of Corrections head Jon
Ozmint has said only 1 percent of those in need can participate). I
asked the subcommittee to amend the bill to fund and mandate
treatment for all who need it in prison, and also in local jails so
to prevent many people from going to prison in the first place. The
legislators agreed more treatment programs are needed but told me the
state cannot afford them. But apparently the state can afford to
incarcerate addicted inmates.

I also commented at a hearing on a different bill to eliminate the
disparities in sentencing between powder and crack cocaine offenses.
I was shocked to see the lack of preparation and thoughtfulness by
committee participants. Though three of the five committeemen were
attorneys, none knew the current drug offense penalties, and they had
to send a committee assistant out to get a copy of the current law.
The proposed bill did equalize the crack and powder penalties, but it
also increased the older, lower penalties for powder. I was told that
the rationale was to "split the difference" between the old
penalties. I commented that those additional, punitive and
ineffective years in prison would affect real people and their
families and that the taxpayers would have to bear the financial cost.

I suggested that funding and mandating treatment programs in prison
would accomplish far more. The committee expressed no interest in the
human dimension of the law, although one legislator did agree more
treatment is needed. Finally, the Legislature passed a law requiring
that most health insurance policies cover mental illness equally with
physical illness but only after removing alcohol and drug addiction
from categories covered. The concern was that addiction coverage
might make the policies too expensive. I guess it's cheaper to send
addicted folks to prison once you catch them committing a crime to get drugs.

Countries like Holland that legalize marijuana for personal use find
that the use of harder drugs goes down. Countries like Canada that
offer safe injection sites for hard drug users find that crime goes
down. States like Maryland that legalize needle exchange programs
have seen a drop in HIV/AIDS rates.

South Carolina needs to do a major study on the efficacy of our
current drug policy. Gov. Mark Sanford should take the lead on this
critical issue.

SHARON FRATEPIETRO

President

South Carolinians for Drug Law Reform