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NEWYORK,JANUARY30
ThebipartisanCouncilonCrimeinAmerica,whosemostconspicuousspokesmanisWilliamBennett,doesfinework,butwhenittouchesonthematterofdrugsitsanalyticalpowerssimplydecompose,asthoughthewriterwerehighoncrackcocaineorthelegalstuff.
LastweektheCouncilexplodedinoppositiontothecallforanapproachtothelegalizationofdrugsmadebysevenwriters(myselfincluded)inthisjournal.Tothetitleofthesymposium--``TheWaronDrugsIsLost'
'
--theCouncilrepliesthatthatismostcertainlynotso.Totheendofprovingthis,itcitesthereductionofdrugusebynon-addicts.Itdeclinedby50percentbetween1979and1992.Theplantedaxiomofcourseisthatthatdeclineisowingtothewarondrugs.Butwhatisitthataccountsforthedeclineinthenumberofusersoftobaccoduringthesameperiod,from33.5millionto26.5million?
Theuseoftobaccoisnotillegal.Butsince1979,andbeginningevenbeforethat,thedeleteriouseffectofcigaretteswassopersuasivelyarguedthatevenWilliamBennettgaveupsmoking.
Alookattheformalsideofthewarondrugsisrequired.Ifsomethingisillegal,thenthelawthatmakesitsoiseffectivetotheextentthatitimprisonsthosewhoviolateit,therebyhypotheticallyreducingthenumberoflawbreakers.
Thatwouldseemobvious,butisn'
ttothedistinguishedmembersoftheCouncilonCrimeinAmerica.In1985,811,000arrestsweremadefordrugoffenses.In1994,1.35millionarrestsweremadefordrugoffenses.Doesthatmeanthatthewarondrugsiseffective?
Well,no.Aneffectivelawdiminishes,ratherthanincreases,thenumberofviolatorswhohavetobearrested.
Andthenofcourseoneasks,If1.35milliondruguserswerearrestedin1994,howmanydruguserswerenotarrested?
TheCouncilinformsusthattherearemorethan4millioncasualusersofcocaine(definedaspeoplewhouseitlessthanonceaweek).Howso?
Whyhaven'
ttheybeenarrested?
Andgoesontosaythatthereareover2.2millionheavy(atleastweekly)users.Thatmakesatotalof6.2millionwhoviolatethelawfromonceaweek,toeverytwoweeksorso.Howeffectiveisthewarwhensuchfigurescanbecited?
Nowtakethebigone.Thereareover70millionAmericanswhohavesmokedmarijuana,andabout10millionwhocontinuetodoso.Whyaren'
ttheyinjail?
DoestheCouncilonCrimeinAmericareallywishthattheywereinjail?
ItmusthaveembarrassedtheCouncilthatthesameweekitsputteredforthonthegreatsuccessofthewarondrugs,TheEconomistcitedanotherCouncilreportoncrimeinAmericawhichgainsaysitsentirepositiononthedrugwar.Welearnthatonlyonecriminalisjailedforeveryhundredviolentcrimescommitted;
thatoverone-halfofAmerica'
sconvictedfelonsarenotsentencedtoprison(because,inpart,theprisonsarefull);
thatthemostviolentcriminalsservelessthanone-halftheirsentences,andtheaveragemurdererreleasedin1992fromastateprisonhadservedonly5.9years.
TheEconomistcitestheexperienceofapatrolmaninHaughville,ascruffyareaofIndianapolis.``Hedrivesupanddownintheevenings,pastanorakedfigureswhostandoutsideliquorstoresandturntheirfacesfromhim.Hecanguesswhattheyare;
fewpeopleapartfromdrugdealersstandaroundonnightslikethis,whenthepuddlesinthepotholesfreezehard.Besides,PatrolmanReichleknowsmostofthem:
hereckonshehasarrestedoneinfiveoftheseyoungmen.'
Cityprosecutors``donotevenbringchargesagainstdrugdealersuntiltheyhavebeenarrestedseveraltimes.Thosewhodogetchargedandfoundguiltywillnotgotoprison,unlesstheyhaveotherconvictions.PresidentBillClinton'
scallforacrackdownondrugdealerssoundsprettyhollowinHaughville.'
SuchisovercrowdinginstateprisonsinIndiana--notwithstandingthatthenationalincreaseinprisonspaceisthreefoldsincewedecidedtowagehardwarondrugs--thatevenarelativelynewAmericanprisonmighthavemeriteddescribingbyCharlesDickens.``Prisonerspasstheirdaysinnarrow,ill-litcages;
therearenochairsortables,sothemenpaceupanddownlikezooanimalsorslouchuponthefloor.'
Sowhathasthewardone?
Ithasmadeamockeryofananti-druglawthatissimplyignoredbymillions;
ithasinducedviolentfeloniesinpursuitofdrugprofits;
anditisself-evidentlypowerlesstodoanythingabouttherecentincreaseinmarijuanausebyrecklessadolescents.ItisapitythatmenandwomenofthemoralandintellectualcharacterofWilliamBennetttreatdruglegalizationastheequivalentofmoralacquiescenceindrugabuse,whenotherreasonsforrepealingourstupidlawsaresoclearlyarticulated,primaryamongthemtorelievenon-drugusersfromtheheavyloadtheybearinthephonyandineffectivewar.O