Prop. 36 Formalizes Current Practices

The alarmist tone of the persons quoted in “Flood of Drug Diversion Cases Feared” (June 18) struck me as a bit melodramatic. Proposition 36 makes into law what has already been common practice in the courts for quite some time. I should know. I’m in a drug diversion program right now. My “offense” (if smoking half a joint can be considered such a thing) was committed over a year ago, and I was sentenced early this year. Why has this been common practice for so long? No one, certainly not any judge, wants to put an otherwise normal, productive citizen behind bars.

Regardless of our laws, millions of Americans use illegal drugs every day. Most of them do so responsibly and safely. Occasionally, circumstance results in an arrest. That person most certainly does not deserve jail, and it does not benefit society one bit to put him or her there. Judges know that and have been acting on it for quite some time. Proposition 36 just causes current practice to be put into law.

Adam Wiggins

Pasadena

Your article raises concerns about the costs associated with implementing Proposition 36, which allows nonviolent drug offenders in California access to treatment instead of jail, as of July 1. Proposition 36 will actually save the state money in the long run.

California and its counties will save approximately $1 billion over five years due to the lower cost of treating people for their addiction, rather than placing them in the expensive criminal justice and penal systems.

This initiative is the first step in a more cost-effective public health approach to the disease of addiction. The 61% of voters who passed Proposition 36 are counting on us to implement it fairly, without sounding unnecessary alarms even before it goes into effect.

Whitney A. Taylor

Prop. 36 Implementation Dir.

Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy

Foundation, Sacramento

It is interesting how all those public officials are crying that there isn’t enough money to implement Proposition 36. Those same officials never cried about the far greater costs of incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders and always seemed to come up with enough money to jail people in world-record quantities.

Clifford A. Schaffer

Canyon Country