RACIAL PROFILING

Jane Eisner's critique of racial profiling was excellent ("How to profile
criminals? Check out their behaviors," Jan. 20).

Although only 15 percent of the nation's drug users are black, they account
for 37 percent of those arrested for drug violations, more than 42 percent
of those in federal prisons for drug violations, and almost 60 percent of
those in state prisons for drug felonies. Support for the drug war would
end overnight if whites were incarcerated for drugs at the same rate as
minorities. Racially disproportionate incarceration rates are not the only
cause for alarm. Putting nonviolent drug offenders behind bars with
hardened criminals is dangerous because prisons transmit violent habits and
values. Most nonviolent drug offenders are eventually released, with dismal
job prospects due to criminal records. Turning them into career criminals
is not a good use of tax dollars. Rather than waste scarce resources
turning potentially productive members of society who use drugs into
unemployable ex-cons, we should be funding cost-effective treatment.

Robert Sharpe

Program Officer

Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation

Washington