Ten signs that the failed drug war is finally ending on AlterNet on 12/04/09.
New York State made the list at #4.
4) Drop the Rock! NY's Draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws Finally Reformed (April)
After 35 years, New York's harsh Rockefeller Drug Laws were finally brought down in April, when Gov. David Paterson signed historic reforms eliminating lengthy mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent drug offenses. The reforms, which took effect in October, restored judicial sentencing discretion in most drug cases, expanded alternatives to incarceration and invested millions in drug treatment programs. Advocates who fought for years to secure these reforms are now working to turn New York from a model of everything that is wrong with drug policy to an example of what is possible when we deal with substance abuse as a health matter instead of a criminal justice issue.
GCASA hasn't seen any of the "invested millions in drug treatment programs" yet. Maybe it's coming.
To read the whole article click here.
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