We are writing to thank you for running the insightful and well-researched cover story “How to Win the War on Drugs,” by Jeffrey Felshman, in your April 1 issue.
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Statistics and stories like the ones in this article make it obvious that the war we need to fight is for saving people’s lives. From 1970 to 2001 the Illinois prison population increased by more than 500 percent; nonviolent drug offenses account for 40 percent of those entering prison annually. Over half (54.6 percent) of those who get released from prison are rearrested within three years. The state corrections budget now accounts for one out of every $20 of the Illinois General Revenue Fund (GRF), absorbing dollars that might better be invested in preventive human service and education programs.
Rehabilitation programs like the one at Sheridan are not a panacea. And public safety and victims’ rights must be upheld at all costs. However, the early success of Sheridan is encouraging. Rehabilitation, particularly for nonviolent drug offenders, may lead us to, at the very least, a stalemate in the war on drugs.
Justice/Violence Initiative
