HIGH PRISON COSTS PART OF PROBLEM

In his State of the State address Jan. 8, Gov. Don Siegelman lamented
Alabama's annual struggle to adequately fund education. This year, we
narrowly missed another round of proration for schools.

While Siegelman pointed to the influence of special interests and an unfair
tax scheme as the culprit for the state's financial problems, part of the
blame can be placed on Alabama's high prison costs.

There were 539 individuals in prison for first-degree marijuana possession
at the end of fiscal year 2000. These individuals were convicted of either
possessing marijuana for other than personal use or possessing marijuana
for personal use with a previous conviction for the same offense.

The state will spend more than $30 million on them for their incarceration.
(The daily cost for an inmate is $25.47, and the average sentence for
felony marijuana possession is six years and one month.)

Although this law intends to punish criminals and protect the state from
their activities, it in effect punishes the children of Alabama by
diverting millions of state tax dollars that could sorely be used for
education and basic health services.

We need to spend our money more wisely. Incarcerating nonviolent marijuana
offenders for long periods of time is not a luxury we can afford.

Richard Schmitz, Washington, D.C., Marijuana Policy Project, Legislative
analyst