Eight former NJ Attorneys General sign open letter supporting repeal of drug mandatories
As detailed in this AP article (which now carries a skewed headline), eight former attorneys general in New Jersey “have put their names behind an effort to repeal mandatory minimum sentences in some nonviolent drug cases.” Here is more:
The eight signed a letter to Gov. Jon Corzine and members of the Legislature today urging passage of a bill giving judges the discretion to waive mandatory minimum sentences…. The ex-prosecutors said mandatory minimum sentences waste money, don’t increase public safety and keep offenders from drug treatment.
A helpful reader sent me a copy of the former AGs’ letter (which can be downloaded below), and here is a key potent paragraph:
Mandating sentences for nonviolent drug offenders regardless of individual circumstances wastes money and does not increase public safety. A compelling body of evidence, including outcome data from New Jersey’s own drug courts, indicates that drug treatment can be effective in treating offenders’ addictions, enabling them to lead productive, law-abiding lives. In short, drug treatment for carefully screened nonviolent offenders can save lives, cut crime and reduce costs. When this happens we all win.