Announcement

Proposal: A RESOLUTION TO INVESTIGATE AND MITIGATE THE REAL COST OF THE WAR ON DRUGS WHEREAS, the "war on drugs" has failed: every community in the U.S. contends with the harmful effects of drug misuse and related problems, and while states have continually increased their expenditures to wage the war on drugs, policies which rely heavily on arrest and incarceration have proved costly and ineffective at addressing these issues; and WHEREAS, the war on drugs is a major force driving the incarceration of over 2.3 million people in the United States, with African Americans and Latinos disproportionately represented in our country's overflowing jails and prisons; and WHEREAS, the war on drugs perpetuates mandatory minimums, felony disfranchisement, disproportionate over-incarceration, poor access to healthcare, under funded public education, widespread unemployment, and the general criminalization of communities of color in the U.S.; and WHEREAS, paying for the war on drugs means spending limited tax dollars on failed policies instead of proven solutions. Americans spend approximately $140 billion annually on prisons and jails including $24 billion spent on incarcerating over 1.2 million non-violent offenders. In many states, such as New York and California, spending on prisons far surpasses spending on education; and WHEREAS, harm reduction strategies, including access to affordable community-based drug treatment, along with educational and economic opportunities, have shown to be successful at reducing the harms of drug misuse, yet more than half of those Americans in need of drug treatment do not have access to it; and WHEREAS, African Americans and Latinos are less likely to sell or misuse illicit drugs than Caucasian Americans, yet African Americans experience highly disproportionate levels of death, disease, crime and suffering due both to drug misuse and to misguided drug policies. African Americans comprise only 12.2 percent of the population and 13 percent of drug users, yet they make up 38 percent of those arrested for drug offenses and 59 percent of those convicted of drug offenses; and WHEREAS, our common goal is to advocate those policies which increase the health and welfare of our communities, and to reduce the unacceptable racial disparities both in criminal justice and in access to drug treatment and other services; and WHEREAS, taking steps to reduce the incarceration of non-violent offenders and increasing the availability of treatment not only makes fiscal sense, but is sound public policy that is being implemented in states throughout the country, such as Maryland and California; and WHEREAS, we believe that nonviolent substance abusers are not menaces to our communities but rather a troubled yet integral part of our community who need to be reclaimed; WHEREAS, Cannabis and Hemp, should be regulated and controlled like cigarettes and alcohol. Heroin, Cocaine, Ecstasy, Methamphetamine, should be medicalized and come under the supervision of medical personnel. All the rest of the illegal drugs should be decriminalized for future debate and true and honest medicinal study. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THE Green Party of the United States of America calls for a complete and thorough investigation into the so called Drug War, and its connections to the prison industry, and seeks to mitigate its destructive effects through taxes derived from the sale of Cannabis and hemp which will go back into the communities as reparations to rebuild infra structure such as public education, health care and roads for those communities that have been ravaged by drug war maladies, as well as treatment programs made available for anyone addicted to drugs. Resources: Efficacy, Drug Policy Alliance, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Criminal Justice Foundation

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #385 - Tuesday, 30 September 2008 Voters in California, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Michigan will all vote Tuesday, November 4th on issues - a total of seven - which will if passed change laws which impact those arrested for the use of currently illegal drugs. The following highlights these issues. CALIFORNIA: PROPOSITION 5, the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act (NORA) - This measure (1) expands drug treatment diversion programs for criminal offenders, (2) modifies parole supervision procedures and expands prison and parole rehabilitation programs, (3) allows inmates to earn additional time off their prison sentences for participation and performance in rehabilitation programs, (4) reduces certain penalties for marijuana possession, and (5) makes miscellaneous changes to state law related mainly to state administration of rehabilitation and parole programs for offenders. Perhaps the least understood Proposition 5 change is the marijuana possession change. Here is what California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) has published on the issue: Change in Marijuana Possession Penalties Current state law generally makes the possession of less than 28.5 grams of marijuana by either an adult or a minor a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 (plus other penalties and fines that can bring the total cost to as much as $370) but not jail. Possession of greater amounts of marijuana, or repeat offenses, can result in confinement in jail or a juvenile hall, greater fines, or both. Revenues generated from these fines (including the additional penalties) are distributed in accordance with state law to various specified state and county government programs. Penalties for Marijuana Offenses Would Become Infraction This measure would make the possession of less than 28.5 grams of marijuana by either an adult or a minor an infraction (similar to a traffic ticket) rather than a misdemeanor. Adults would be subject, as they are today, to a fine of up to $100. However, the additional penalties of any kind would be limited under this measure to an amount equal to the fine imposed. (For example, imposition of the maximum $100 fine could result in an additional $100 in penalties.) Persons under age 18 would no longer be subject to a fine for a first offense, but would be required to complete a drug education program. Also, under this measure, fines collected for marijuana possession would be deposited in a special fund to provide additional support of the new youth programs created by this measure. The LAO analysis of Proposition 5 is at http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2008/5_11_2008.aspx Please see the YES on Prop. 5 website http://www.prop5yes.com/ The influential Orange County Register recently supported Proposition 5 in an editorial http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n901/a06.html PROPOSITION 6 - Makes some 30 changes to state criminal laws. The measure requires that Youthful Offender Block Grant funds--provided by the state to house, supervise, and provide various types of treatment services to juveniles--be distributed to county probation offices and eliminates existing provisions that permit these funds to be provided directly to drug treatment, mental health, or other county departments. Defines possession of methamphetamines as a felony - this crime currently can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony - but it does not change eligibility for some offenders for drug treatment diversion under Proposition 36. The LAO analysis of Proposition 6 is at http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2008/6_11_2008.aspx PROPOSITION 9 - This measure amends the State Constitution and various state laws to (1) expand the legal rights of crime victims and the payment of restitution by criminal offenders, (2) restrict the early release of inmates, and (3) change the procedures for granting and revoking parole. The LAO analysis of Proposition 9 is at http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2008/9_11_2008.aspx The Los Angeles Times recently opposed all three propositions in editorials http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n895/a03.html ********************************************************************** MASSACHUSETTS: QUESTION 2 - This proposed law would replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties, to be enforced by issuing citations, and would exclude information regarding this civil offense from the state's criminal record information system. Offenders age 18 or older would be subject to forfeiture of the marijuana plus a civil penalty of $100. Offenders under the age of 18 would be subject to the same forfeiture and, if they complete a drug awareness program within one year of the offense, the same $100 penalty. Offenders under 18 and their parents or legal guardian would be notified of the offense and the option for the offender to complete a drug awareness program developed by the state Department of Youth Services. Such programs would include ten hours of community service and at least four hours of instruction or group discussion concerning the use and abuse of marijuana and other drugs and emphasizing early detection and prevention of substance abuse. The penalty for offenders under 18 who fail to complete such a program within one year could be increased to as much as $1,000, unless the offender showed an inability to pay, an inability to participate in such a program, or the unavailability of such a program. Such an offender's parents could also be held liable for the increased penalty. Failure by an offender under 17 to complete such a program could also be a basis for a delinquency proceeding. The proposed law would define possession of one ounce or less of marijuana as including possession of one ounce or less of tetrahydrocannibinol ("THC"), or having metabolized products of marijuana or THC in one's body. Under the proposed law, possessing an ounce or less of marijuana could not be grounds for state or local government entities imposing any other penalty, sanction, or disqualification, such as denying student financial aid, public housing, public financial assistance including unemployment benefits, the right to operate a motor vehicle, or the opportunity to serve as a foster or adoptive parent. The proposed law would allow local ordinances or bylaws that prohibit the public use of marijuana, and would not affect existing laws, practices, or policies concerning operating a motor vehicle or taking other actions while under the influence of marijuana, unlawful possession of prescription forms of marijuana, or selling, manufacturing, or trafficking in marijuana. The money received from the new civil penalties would go to the city or town where the offense occurred. The YES on Question 2 website is at http://sensiblemarijuanapolicy.org/ Many, but not all, of the newspaper clippings about Question 2 may be found at http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Committee+for+Sensible+Marijuana+Policy ********************************************************************** MICHIGAN: PROPOSAL 1: The proposed law would: Permit physician approved use of marijuana by registered patients with debilitating medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, MS and other conditions as may be approved by the Department of Community Health. Permit registered individuals to grow limited amounts of marijuana for qualifying patients in an enclosed, locked facility. Require Department of Community Health to establish an identification card system for patients qualified to use marijuana and individuals qualified to grow marijuana. Permit registered and unregistered patients and primary caregivers to assert medical reasons for using marijuana as a defense to any prosecution involving marijuana. The YES on Proposal 1 website is at http://stoparrestingpatients.org/ Most, but not all, of the newspaper clippings about Proposal 1 may be found at http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Michigan+Coalition+for+Compassionate+Care ********************************************************************** OREGON: MEASURE 57 - Increases sentences for drug trafficking (methamphetamine, heroin, "ecstasy," cocaine), theft against elderly and specified repeat property and identity theft crimes; requires addiction treatment for certain offenders. MEASURE 61 - Creates mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain theft, identity theft, forgery, drug, and burglary crimes. Please see this website for additional details http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/nov42008/meas.html If both measures pass, the one with more votes becomes law. Most of the newspaper editorial page statements from Oregon newspapers have opposed both measures or recommended Measure 57 as the better choice. **********************************************************************

[Courtesy of The European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies] At http://www.encod.org/info/EU-COMMISSION-ANNOUNCES-NEW-ACTION.html you can now find all versions of the new EU Action Plan on Drugs. The five main priorities of the new Action Plan include reducing the demand for drugs and raising public awareness, mobilising European citizens, reducing the supply of drugs, improving international cooperation and facilitating a better understanding of the drug phenomenon. Actions proposed include measures to improve the quality, availability and coverage of treatment and harm reduction programmes for drug users and the establishment of intelligence-led police and customs operations to counter large-scale organised crime groups both in the EU and on the drug trafficking routes from Afghanistan and Latin America. The EU Drugs Action Plan 2009-2012 will be presented to the Council and is expected to be adopted before the end of the year.

[Courtesy of Prisons Foundation] Please request your free copy of our latest fundraising publication, "Make Money While Making a Difference in Prisons Across America." This is our latest publication, and it's for anyone who wants to operate a Prison Art Gallery satellite sales and information center as a significant fundraising vehicle. Such centers, known as Prison Art Kiosks, display and sell arts and crafts made by imprisoned male and female artists from across America. The Kiosks also offer books, information and literature on ways to improve prison conditions, rehabilitation programs, victim assistance, and the re-entry of released prisoners to society. For a small investment, you or your organization can get a sustantial return. To request your free copy, please email [email protected].

Call 202-393-1511 to reserve your spot. Thanks to a grant we received from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Prisons Foundation throughout the year has been conducting free all-day workshops for individuals who wish to become a mentor to imprisoned artists. We are now having our last workshop--a wrap up one that's just half a day long--and invite all to attend, whether or not you have been to a previous workshop. This summary workshop will feature the highlights of previous workshops. The workshop is free and refreshments will be served. It is ideal for anyone who attended any of the previous workshops as well as for new participants who seek to work either as a volunteer or paid staff member in a jail or prison. Attend this free workshop on Saturday, September 27, 1 to 5 pm. You'll learn what it takes to work in a jail or prison to foster artistic development among inmates. You'll receive this valuable training from experienced correctional officials (from both public and private jails) who have made presentations at our previous seminars. The highlights of their presentations will be show on video. You will also benefit from the insights and knowledge of ex-prisoner artists who will serve as workshop leaders. These knowledgeable people will share their experiences with you in a relaxed and fun setting at the Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC. This is a rare opportunity to make contacts and obtain valuable information. You can be part of it all. Whether you're looking for a one afternoon per month volunteer opportunity or a full-time paid career position, you will find this workshop very worthwhile. Please call us at 202-393-1511 or email [email protected] for more information. Thank you.

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!

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