Stop Wasteful Drug War Spending in California

Stop Wasteful Drug War Spending in California

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Should the state of California buy you a brand new Jaguar?&nbsp;<br /><br />It wouldn't be smart spending in the middle of a fiscal crisis, but the cost of locking up someone you love for drug possession for just one year is the same as buying a luxury car.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s time to demand an end to wasteful drug war spending in California! We can&rsquo;t afford it!<br /><br />Gov. Schwarzenegger plans to spend $1 billion each year to keep people convicted of drug possession in state prison, and to continue making tens of thousands of marijuana arrests each year. That's a lot of Jaguars.<br /><br />Please join me in telling Sacramento to stop irresponsible drug war spending!&nbsp;<br /><br />The governor is right that tough economic times call for tough decisions. So why doesn&rsquo;t he stop wasting money incarcerating low-level drug offenders?<br /><br />Can&rsquo;t you think of a better use for that money? I know I can!<br /><a href="https://secure2.convio.net/dpa/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&amp;page=UserAction&amp;id=361"><br /></a>If you live in California, send a letter to your Governor, Senators, and legislators using the form below:<a href="https://secure2.convio.net/dpa/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&amp;page=UserAction&amp;id=361"><br /><br />https://secure2.convio.net/dpa/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&amp;page=UserAction&amp;id=361<br /></a><br /><br />Letter Preview:<br /><br />"I write to urge you to end the wasteful practice of putting low-level, non-violent drug possession offenders in state prison. It's ineffective, counter-productive and we can't afford it! Instead, in these severe economic times, the state should be focused on reducing the harms associated with drugs and drug war policies. That means more access to drug treatment, not less.&nbsp;<br /><br />Here are a few simple ways the state could achieve significant cost savings:&nbsp;<br /><br />&nbsp;Eliminate prison for petty drug possession. There are almost 12,000 people in prison in California for simple drug possession, at a cost of over $500 million a year. The state spends an equal amount to incarcerate people convicted of drug possession with intent to sell. That's up to $1 billion that could be better spent at the county level on drug treatment, community service and probation.<br /><br />&nbsp;Eliminate parole for drug possession. Nearly 19,000 people are on parole following incarceration in state prison for a simple drug possession at a cost of $82 million a year. Eliminating parole for all drug possession offenses would reduce the parole population by 25% and reduce costs by $135 million a year.<br /><br />&nbsp;Make marijuana possession an infraction. Marijuana arrests in California increased by over 13% in 2007 to nearly 75,000 80% of which were misdemeanors. Nearly 17,000 of those were arrests of people under the age of 18. Despite decriminalizing simple possession in the 1970s, the state still pours resources into low-level marijuana arrests and brings thousands of young people into the criminal justice system each year.<br /><br />&nbsp;Insurance parity for addiction treatment. Insurance parity for mental illness and addiction treatment as proposed in AB 244 (Beall) would expand access to private treatment at no cost to the state. Nearly 3 in 4 people in treatment in the state are funded through the criminal justice system, according to the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP). Greater private insurance coverage could reduce those costs.&nbsp;<br /><br />We can't continue the same old incarceration practices that helped get us into this mess! Instead, the state needs to start spending smart by protecting treatment and HIV prevention and by eliminating prison as a response to low-level drug possession.&nbsp;<br /><br />I urge you to make these important changes as part of the new budget. We can't afford not to!"<br /><br /><br />Source: Drug Policy Alliance Network<br />

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