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CO: Prison or counseling? Lawmakers introduce bill to reform sentences for drug users

By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)

Prison or counseling? Lawmakers introduce bill to reform sentences for drug users Peter Marcus, Denver Daily News Staff Writer Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Lawmakers are again questioning whether to either treat drug users with community-based counseling, or send them to prison for long sentences. A bipartisan group of lawmakers yesterday unveiled House Bill 1352, which would reduce the charge for simple possession for most drugs from a class 6 felony to a class 1 misdemeanor. Simple possession would be defined as four grams, instead of one gram in all cases except for with methamphetamine. In the case of meth, simple possession would be defined as two grams or less. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, could potentially lower simple possession sentences for those who are sent to prison from as many as six years in prison to 18 months, Waller said at an afternoon news conference yesterday attended by Republican Attorney General John Suthers, as well as members of the law enforcement and drug treatment communities...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog on February 25, 2010 (boomark / email).