Constitutional Law

New York Lawmakers Reach Deal To End Rigid Drug Laws

New York lawmakers and the governor have agreed to restructure the state's strict drug laws. The agreement, which must be approved by the Assembly and Senate, would repeal much of the state's drug laws, such as mandatory minimum prison sentences for low-level drug offenders, once considered among the nation's toughest, The New York Times reports.

The new drug policy would give state judges greater discretion to force first-time drug offenders into treatment instead of prison and allow some prisoners to petition the government to have their current prisons sentences commuted. A spokesperson for Gov. David A. Paterson (right) said the agreement reflects 'the governor's core principle to focus on treatment rather than punishment to end the cycle of addiction.' In a recent ACS Issue Brief, Professor Alex Kreit urges lawmakers to take similar approaches to combating illegal drug use. Citing new studies, Kreit concludes that the nation's war on drugs is a 'failure,' and says more resources must be put into treatment and prevention. The Issue Brief is available here.  

Full post as published by ACS Blog on March 26, 2009 (boomark / email).