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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, September 15, 2008 Contact: LaWanda Johnson, (202) 558-7974x308; cell:(202) 320-1029 Violent Crime Fell in 2007; Areas with lower incarceration rates experienced greater crime reductions WASHINGTON, D.C.--Violent crime in the United States fell by 1.4 percent in 2007, according to an analysis released today by the Justice Policy Institute. The analysis, which is based on findings in the 2007 FBI Uniform Crime Report released today, finds that the drop in crime came at a time when the prison and jail growth rates fell from previous years. The analysis concluded that regions with the lowest incarceration rates also experienced the largest drops in violent crime. The number of violent and property crimes fell in three of the four regions of the country. The northeast region experienced the greatest drop in violent crime, and also has the lowest incarceration rates in the country. The southern region has the highest incarceration rates and witnessed a rise in violent crimes--the only part of the country to not experience a drop in crime. Furthermore, as the growth rates of prisons and jails fell, the violent crime rate fell as well, possibly indicating that lowering the number of people imprisoned can be an effective way to increase public safety. "The data clearly demonstrates that the use of incarceration as a means of increasing public safety is a failed public policy," said Sheila Bedi, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute. "This data underscores that investments in education, employment and housing are what make communities safer." The Uniform Crime Report also reinforces statistics around youth crime and suggests that punitive practices aimed at youth should be abandoned for more effective alternatives. According the UCR, adults are responsible for the majority of violent offenses, representing 84 percent of all violent crime arrests. For a more in-depth analysis of crime trends, and information on effective public safety practices, please visit our website at www.justicepolicy.org.

Are you SERIOUS about changing marijuana laws in Colorado? If so... Save the Date! Marijuana Reform Seminar & Activist Boot Camp Presented by Sensible Colorado & SAFER Date: November 15, 2008 A few months ago, Sensible Colorado and SAFER announced we would be joining forces to recruit, train, and mobilize activists around the state who are serious about working together toward changing marijuana laws in Colorado. Plans are now underway for a historic statewide Marijuana Reform Seminar and Activist Boot Camp that will provide participants with detailed training sessions and the materials they will need to get active in their areas and start working toward change. The event will address a variety of subjects, including: • The state of marijuana laws and policies in Colorado • Messaging, framing the debate, and spreading the word • Building support in your area and among specific communities • Lobbying and relationship-building with local and state officials More details about this event will be made available soon!

For Immediate Release: September 15, 2008 For More Info: Tony Newman at (646) 335-5384 FBI Releases 2007 Crime in the United States Report Record Number of Marijuana Arrests, 775,000 for Nothing More than Possession DPA Statement: Throwing Good Money (and Lives) After Bad According to the FBI’s 2007 Crime in the United States Report, released today, the police made more than 1.8 million drug arrests last year, more than three times the number of arrests for violent crime during the same period. 82.5 percent of drug arrests were for simple possession of an illegal drug. Only 17.5 percent were for sales or manufacturing. Almost 775,000 arrests were for nothing more than possession of marijuana for personal use, a 5 percent increase over 2006. Those arrested are separated from their loved ones, branded criminals, denied jobs, and in many cases prohibited from accessing public assistance for life. The Following is a statement from Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance: “For more than 30 years the U.S. has treated drug use and misuse as a criminal justice matter instead of a public health issue. Yet, despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent and millions of Americans incarcerated, illegal drugs remain cheap, potent and widely available in every community; and the harms associated with them -- addiction, overdose, and the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis -- continue to mount. Meanwhile, the war on drugs has created new problems of its own, including rampant racial disparities in the criminal justice system, broken families, increased poverty, unchecked federal power, and eroded civil liberties. Continuing the failed war on drugs year after year is throwing good money and lives after bad. “It's time for a new bottom line for U.S. drug policy -- one that focuses on reducing the cumulative death, disease, crime and suffering associated with both drug misuse and drug prohibition. A good start would be enacting short- and long-term national goals for reducing the problems associated with both drugs and the war on drugs. Such goals should include reducing social problems like drug addiction, overdose deaths, the spread of HIV/AIDS from injection drug use, racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and the enormous number of nonviolent offenders behind bars. Federal drug agencies should be judged -- and funded -- according to their ability to meet these goals. “Policymakers should especially stop wasting money arresting and incarcerating people for nothing more than possession of marijuana for personal use. There’s no need to be afraid of what voters might think; the American people are already there. Substantial majorities favor legalizing marijuana for medical use (70 percent to 80 percent) and fining recreational marijuana users instead of arresting and jailing them (61 percent to 72 percent). Twelve states have legalized marijuana for medical use and 12 states have decriminalized recreational marijuana use (six states have done both).”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 15, 2008 CONTACT: Kevin Balktick at [email protected] or 646-537-1701, or Neal Goldsmith at [email protected] Horizons Presents Groundbreaking Research and Perspectives on Psychedelic Drugs in Medicine, Art, Spirituality and Culture at Conference September 19-21, at Judson Memorial Church Experts from across North America gather to discuss the ongoing renaissance in the exploration of psychedelic drugs. Presenters include medical researchers from several of North America's most prestigious universities, world-renown artists, religious scholars, bestselling authors and other key players. Horizons is the largest psychedelics conference in the Americas. Psychedelics are a unique class of psychoactive drugs that have been used by humans for thousands of years. Millions of people in every corner of the globe have used them to alter their consciousness in search of introspective contemplation, spiritual insights, creative exploration and physical and psychological healing. In the 1950s and early 1960s, legal research with psychedelics spurred important discoveries in neuroscience and psychology. During the 1960s, psychedelics entered worldwide popular culture. Questions about their safety, medical value, history and implications in politics and culture were unfortunately answered with numerous myths spread by both their recreational users and the media. The freewheeling sixties have become a distant memory and the hype of the millennial rave fever has faded as well. Now, a small group of dedicated researchers and activists has orchestrated a renaissance in psychedelic research that is re-shaping the public's understanding of these unique substances. Horizons brings together the brightest minds and boldest voices of this movement to share their research, insights and dreams for the future. Notable presenters include John Halpern MD from Harvard Medical School, Roland Griffiths Ph.D. From Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, David E. Nichols MD from Purdue University, Isiah Saxon and Sean Hellfritsch, the video artists responsible for Bjork's most recent 3-D music video and pharmacological pioneers Alexander and Ann Shulgin. The venue, Judson Memorial Church, is a historically significant, landmarked location. It has a long history of promoting the arts, free speech and progressive politics. For more information please go to: www.horizonsnyc.org

Press Advisory Contact: Rev. Ken Glasgow at 334-791-2433 or Gabriel Sayegh at 646-335-2264 September 12, 2008 Advocates Launch Historic Drive to Register Eligible Alabama Voters, Including Those Convicted of Felony Drug Possession Families, Formerly Incarcerated People, Religious Leaders, Treatment and Sentencing Experts Declare: Don't Criminalize People with Drug Problems, Provide Treatment and Restoration Voter Drive to Include Town Hall Events In Five Cities Across Alabama: "Voter Disfranchisement and The War On Drugs: What's Civil Right's Got to Do With It?" In Alabama, nearly 250,000 people have been stripped their voting rights due to a felony conviction. But in a 2006 court ruling in Alabama, a judge found that only those persons convicted of felonies of "moral turpitude" lose their right to vote. The judge found that certain felonies—such as drug possession—do not constitute crimes of moral turpitude, and therefore individuals convicted of those crimes do not lose their right to vote, even during incarceration. Alabama-based The Ordinary People's Society and their national partner the Drug Policy Alliance estimate that over 50,000 people convicted of non-moral turpitude felonies in Alabama have been wrongly denied their right to vote, or believe they do not have that right due to a conviction. An additional 6 – 7,000 more people currently incarcerated in Alabama state prisons may also be eligible to vote. Join Dothan-based The Ordinary People's Society and their national partner the Drug Policy Alliance on their statewide tour to discuss Alabama's drug war and its impact on democracy. What: "Voter Disfranchisement and the War On Drugs: What's Civil Right's Got to Do With It?" When: 9/15 – 9/19. Each event begins at 6 p.m . Where: 9/15 in Huntsville 9/16 in Birmingham 9/17 in Mobile 9/18 in Dothan 9/19 in Montgomery Each event begins at 6 p.m. Call for event locations. Who: Rev. Kenneth Glasgow, Founder and Executive Director, The Ordinary People's Society (TOPS) (Dothan, AL) Daris Johnson, Director, TOPS Young People's Project (Enterprise, AL) Gabriel Sayegh, Director, Organizing and Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance (New York, NY) Alabama is facing a crisis. The state has the 6th highest rate of incarceration in the U.S. A prison system designed for 12,500 people now holds nearly 30,000. As a result of the drug war, non-violent drug offenses make up approximately 30% of all felony convictions in Alabama, and people convicted of non-violent drug and property offenses comprise nearly half of the state's prison population. Nearly 50% of prisoners are serving prison time for a drug related crime. And over 250,000 people are barred from voting due to felony disfranchisement laws. A recent court ruling, however, found that people convicted of drug possession, among other offenses, do not lose their right to vote. This change could have an impact on nearly 70,000 Alabamians, including nearly 10,000 currently incarcerated in state prisons. While drug use is equal across all racial groups, Black people are incarcerated for drug crimes at higher rates than whites. Blacks make up only 26% of Alabama's population, but are nearly 60% of the prison population. And nearly every For every white person in an Alabama jail, there are about 4 Black people. Alabama is spending millions to incarcerated people when treatment is more effective and far cheaper. The average cost to keep a person in prison in Alabama is almost $13,000 per year. The average cost of a full treatment program per client is approximately $4,300. Over time, the savings from treatment are significant: Studies by the RAND Corporation have show that every additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.46 in societal costs. "We've got to start restoring people's lives, by providing treatment, by restoring the right to vote," said Reverend Kenneth Glasgow, Executive Director of The Ordinary People's Society and state coordinator of the New Bottom Line Campaign. "When a person get's a felony conviction, they can lose more than their voting rights, they can lose public assistance, public housing, financial aid for school. The drug war became a war on people and we spend more on incarceration than on treatment. Why do we spend more on producing criminals than producing citizens? We need a new bottom line." In 2005, according to the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, the substance abuse statistics for the state of Alabama stated: Alcohol • 246,000 people had alcohol dependency • Total admissions for alcohol rehabilitation and treatment was 2,427 • Less than 1% (actually.009%) of Alabamians received treatment for alcohol Other Drug Abuse • 113,000 people had drug dependency other than alcohol • Total admissions for drug rehabilitation and treatment was 12,645 • 11% of those needing treatment were provided with treatment