My comments to Bill O'Reilly of "The Factor" on the Fox News Channel.


Bill -

I am not trying to get my comments displayed on the show as this email
is not "pithy". However, I do hope you take the time to read this. I
also strongly encourage you to have guests on your show who really
understand drug addiction and how to reduce drug abuse - not law
enforcement officials and politicians. Americans have to start
understanding how to really stop this epidemic.

With regard to the drug problem in America, I do believe you mean well,
but those who fight the de-criminalization of currently illegal drugs,
don't understand the reality of drug addiction. The so called "war on
drugs" is a joke. We are spending millions of taxpayer dollars, but
most illegal drugs are cheaper and more plentiful than ever before.
Talk about "a fleecing of the American taxpayer".

This money could be spent on methods that really fight the drug problem
by decreasing the demand instead of trying in vain to stop the supply.
We could use this money to educate parents, children, teachers, clergy,
social workers, and others who work with children, about how to be
better parents and mentors and how to teach kids to not use drugs. We
could make sure that drug rehab is available to anyone who needs it.

More than most people, I deplore the epidemic of drug abuse in this
country. I, along with my family and my brother's son are victims of
this horrible epidemic. I hate "drugs" more than you can ever imagine.
I have a horrible void in my life and a great pain in my heart, having
grown up as essentially an only child, never really knowing my only
brother, having seen my brother in person less than 15 times in the last
21 years, usually in a correctional institution with a glass partition
between us, and seeing his son grow up without a father. Drugs have
turned the life of a good looking and very personable boy (now a 33
year-old man) with a genius-level IQ into a great tragedy. My brother
was so bright with so much potential he could have discovered the cure
for AIDS or Cancer or something equally as wonderful. "A mind is a
terrible thing to waste."

My brother has been a drug addict since the age of 12 and has been
trying to fight his addiction for years without access to drug rehab,
but has been losing the battle. He has spent most of his last 21 years
in and out of juvenile hall, the California Youth Authority, and prison
for offenses related to drug possession and use, and for burglary to get
money to buy drugs. He is currently serving a 9-year term for
possessing drugs. If he is caught with drugs again when he gets out, he
will be sentenced to "life with parole", which right now in California,
means "life without parole" because the idiot Governor is not paroling
anyone to appear tough on crime.

So people say put these addicts in jail/prison for possessing and using
drugs, as this is a deterrent. Well I have news for everyone. It does
not work. Drug addiction is a medical problem which should be treated
that way. I am okay with forced rehabilitation, but not with
jail/prison time for drug offenses. Additionally, addicts who have
committed non-drug offenses should get comprehensive, forced drug rehab
in jail/prison. If they don't get this treatment in prison, they are
extremely likely to re-offend once released.

Inmates rarely have access to rehabilitation in jail or prison and when
they do it is wholly inadequate. For example, in California, only a
small number of the inmates who are classified as drug offenders get
rehab, only in their last year of prison, and usually do not receive
aftercare in the county to which they are paroled. It is estimated that
70 - 85% of the inmate population in California suffer from drug
addiction, but few of them get treatment in prison. Most, like my
brother, are never designated as drug addicts by the CDC, even though
they have committed drug-related crimes.

Not to mention that they have to deal with gang violence, rape, abuse by
guards, drugs and alcohol smuggled in and sold by guards and other
correctional staff, poor nutrition, sub-standard healthcare, and little
to no mental healthcare. So for those non-violent and/or drug
offenders, how does society expect them to be rehabilitated from
criminal behavior and overcome their drug addiction in such a situation.
It is just about impossible to be rehabilitated in jail/prison in
California. Most of these people will be released eventually and will
be worse off and more violent than before they went to prison. So from
a practical point of view, we are increasing crime with our current drug
policy.

There is also very little affordable rehab available in California to
those who are drug addicts but have never been caught by the police.
Waiting lists for affordable substance abuse treatment are extremely
long.

So what it comes down to is this. The current drug policy and the "war
on drugs" is failing American society. It is making drug addicts worse
instead of rehabilitating them. It is also increasing crime and
destabilizing families and, in some cases, destabilizing whole
communities where drugs are most prevalent and many men (husbands and
fathers) are incarcerated for drug-related crimes.

It is time for Americans to stop fearing drug addicts and time to start
developing and implementing a drug policy that actually reduces drug
addiction and related crimes.

This is very interesting and you are absolutely right.
I myself find it ridiculous that drug addiction is still stereotyped as it has been 15 years ago. The disease is spreading because in my opinion there's still not enough education and far too little help for the ones willing to get helped. What good will prison do them?

Powerful and very well written.

Sherri:
The "War on Drugs" started by our government was to harshly punish the big-time drug pushers. Harsh sentences, a big dose of reality, but instead what has happened is they are wasting huge amounts of tax dollars not to mention devastating families by punishing users. It seems to me as though drug "users" are hurting themselves, not a threat to society. Certainly not a threat big enough to incarcerate them for unusually lengthy sentences via our mandatory sentencing guidelines! Perhaps it is just a vicious circle whereby which the lawmakers can justify building many more prisons and staffing them, and this is one more way to keep those institutions filled to capacity or overfilled. I just wonder what is next? What demographic will we wage a "war" against this time?

VERY WELL WRITTEN SHERRI

It is very well written and I agree with you.

My brother-in-law has been an addcit for 10 years too he's only 23.

He has been in and out of the system for the past 8 years or so too. He has never received any treament. A lot of that has to do with the fact that nobody knew he was an addict until recently.

This time his addiciton got really bad and he broke into several homes and even forged one our checks to himself.

He's going to plead guilty and tell the judge that he is andaddict and needs help.

It's just so sad and I know that he is just one of many who have gone through similar things.


It's about time we as a nation admit that the so called war on drugs has been lost.

Sometimes needs to be done differently.

I know I'm a little late on this, but, I had to tell you, I feel for your situation, and I think you put it very well in this letter! God bless!

My fiance is locked up for posession of drugs also. But he only got three years and is serving half time, which is only 18 months. Is your brother going to serve half time too? Where is he locked up at? My fiance is in McFarland, Ca at Golden State MCCF, since he only has 25 points. You have to be under 27 points to be there. But if he gets another serious 115 he's outta there back to mainline with extra time. My best friend's dad use to be a C.O. and he was bringing drugs into an inmate and got caught and was sentenced to 4 or 5 years, but served 2 I believe. When I worked at the prison officers were coming into work drunk and/or high. I swear to God! Infact, the same week I quit four officers refused to take a drug test and got fired. I don't understand how this country can allow alcohol, which has more or the same effect as drugs. Its so ridiculous! How many people get killed by drunk drivers vs. marijuana? In Amsterdam pot is legal, infact they sell it at your corner coffee house. We waste so much money on locking up drug dealers, but I think it's mainly because the government isn't making any money on it like they are with alcohol. When I was a C.O. in McFarland you wouldn't believe how many people are in there for drug offenses. There are around nearly 600 inmates at that prison and I would say 75% are locked up for some relation to drugs. What a waste of money California is spending. Each inmate at a regular CDC prison costs us $25,000 each year to house in a prison. At a CCF prison it costs us approx. $19,000 per year for each inmate. Plus any money for a public defender for those who cannot afford an attorney costs the tax payers money. There has got to be a better solution to this drug war. The only war is against the government! Something just isn't right here.

Shelly
:argh

Sherri you could not have stated it any better. It seems that those in a position of power dont seem to realize their idea of "lock 'em up and throw away the key" isnt working. There are so many brilliant people in the world, too bad none of them are in political positions.

I totally agree. The problem is the government equates the word "drugs" with marijuana. For them to legalize it, would mean them admitting they have been wrong all these years.
Marijuana is not a drug. It is a medicinal herb.