http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/41037/
Neil Peirce
Imprisoning millions of nonviolent drug users is a failed strategy -- but there are some solutions that actually work. Is it time to forge an "exit strategy" for our prolonged "war on drugs"? That question -- normally considered a "no-no" in legal circles, especially among prosecutors and police -- has been raised by the prestigious King County (Wash.) Bar Association since 2000. And the results have been impressive. King County is sending minor street drug users and sellers through drug courts instead of incarcerating them; its average daily jail count is down from 2,800 to 2,000. The Washington Legislature was persuaded to cut back drastically on mandatory drug possession sentences, apportioning funds to adult and juvenile drug courts, and family "dependency" courts. Tens of millions of dollars have been saved."
