San Diego Union-Tribune: California Prop. 5 Measure "Absurd": Urges No Vote

Yet another major newspaper has come out against Prop. 5 in California.  (In case you missed it, last week, the L.A. Times also urged its readers to vote no on the measure.)

So what's wrong with Prop 5? Here's what the Union-Tribune had to say:

The measure mandates increased state funding for treatment and rehabilitation programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees. Oversight, however, is inadequate at best.

And Proposition 5 also makes it more difficult to lock up offenders who violate probation or parole – requiring such vast changes that its net effect is to create a separate, much kinder criminal justice system for drug users.

Consider the fact that under Proposition 5, a serial burglar or a con artist or anyone whose crimes are nonviolent could escape prison by claiming the crimes were committed to pay for drugs he is addicted to. This is absurd.

There is no question that California's criminal justice and prison policies are ripe for smart reform. Proposition 5 doesn't remotely qualify. We urge a No vote. [SDUT]

U.S. Trade Representative Announces Proposed Suspension of Bolivia’s Tariff Benefits

On September 15, President Bush designated Bolivia as a country that has failed demonstrably over the past 12 months to adhere to its obligations under international counternarcotics agreements and to take the measures set forth in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.  The Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) are programs that provide duty-free treatment for imports of most products from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. These programs are designed to promote economic development and reduce illegal crop production in the Andean region.

The recent expulsion of U.S. Agency for International Development personnel and the removal of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials from the main areas of Bolivia's illegal coca production, a marked increase in cocaine production, the government’s failure to close illegal coca markets, and publicly stated policies that increase government-sanctioned coca cultivation, have placed in doubt the Bolivian government’s commitment to cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking.

Today, U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced that President Bush has directed her to publish in the Federal Register a notice of his proposed action to suspend Bolivia’s designation as a beneficiary country under the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). Bolivia’s demonstrable failure to cooperate in counternarcotics efforts over the past 12 months indicates that Bolivia is not meeting important criteria for benefits under the ATPA and ATPDEA tariff preference programs.

“These tariff preferences are unilateral benefits provided by the United States to partner nations in the Andean region,” said Ambassador Schwab. “The Morales Administration’s recent actions related to narcotics cooperation are not those of a partner and are not consistent with the rules of these programs. We regret that the proposed suspension that is prompted by the Bolivian government’s actions could affect hard-working Bolivians,” she said. “Once imposed, the suspension could be lifted as soon as the Bolivian government improves its performance under the ATPA and ATPDEA criteria.”

California's Largest Newspaper Slams Prop 5 Proposal

Check out today's L.A. Times, which urges California voters to reject Proposition 5, a ballot measure pushed and funded-for primarily by George Soros that would severely weaken the state's successful anti-drug diversion programs:

Under Proposition 5, an addict caught breaking into a home would be exempt from incarceration if his reason was to feed his addiction and if he agreed to treatment. Judges would likewise be unable to jail someone who stole a car, abused a spouse, drove under the influence (and injured someone), possessed an illegal weapon or committed a host of other crimes -- as long as the perpetrator swore that drugs made him do it. Even dealers profiting from others' addictions would be offered diversion. Addicts would get repeated chances at rehab instead of incarceration, no matter how seriously they tried -- or didn't -- to kick their habit.

There are two huge problems with that approach. First, it would jeopardize public safety. Second, it doesn't work. Treatment professionals know that addicts need a "moment of clarity" -- a point at which they hit bottom, or close enough to it that they can soberly acknowledge the state they are in and the need for change. Often, that moment comes after the addict skips rehab or fails a drug test and is facing a weekend behind bars.

Not all rehab programs are equal. For hard-core addicts, involuntary programs -- to which they are often sentenced by drug court -- are considerably more effective than voluntary ones.

One of the biggest problems with Proposition 5 is that it would repeatedly cycle addicts through ineffective voluntary programs, which impose few consequences for failure. They're only sent to involuntary treatment (under which they go to jail if they fail a drug test or don't show up) as a last resort, after they've committed a series of crimes. This would cripple the most successful programs in the state.

This isn't the way forward. Voters should reject Proposition 5 and demand that the state's criminal justice system finally get the serious examination it requires -- in Sacramento, where flaws can be worked out, rather than cemented in a well-meaning but ill-considered ballot measure. [LAX]

Prevention Works: New Data on the Effectiveness of the Drug Free Communities Program

Yesterday, Director Walters, released a National Interim Evaluation of the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program. The evaluation (.pdf) demonstrates the program's effectiveness in preventing substance use and abuse among teens. The analysis shows current substance use rates among high-school students (the number of high-school students who report consuming alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana in the past 30-days) within Drug Free Communities are significantly lower than national rates.

The National Interim Evaluation, conducted by Battelle Memorial Institute on behalf of ONDCP, examined trends in current use among communities with DFC coalitions, compared to reported use at the national level using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS). The analysis shows that between 2006 and 2007, current use rates for communities with DFC coalitions declined for all three substances measured (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana) in grades 9-12. The study also found that:

• Current use of marijuana among high school students in DFC communities is 9.9 percent lower than the reported national average;
• Average youth alcohol use in DFC communities is 23.3 percent lower than the national average;
• Annual tobacco use is ten percent lower in DFC communities than the national average.
• While youth drug use has been declining across the United States, it has declined more rapidly in communities with DFC coalitions.

The DFC program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community organizations that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. Today there are 769 DFC coalitions in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Palau. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and the media.

For more information about the Drug-Free Communities Program and the full National Interim Evaluation click here. (.pdf)

Have You Seen Me? Top Echelon of Gulf Cartel Indicted

Heriberto Lazcano-Lazcano


Ezequiel Cardenas-Guillen


Jorge Eduardo Costilla-Sanchez

On September 17th, the Department of Justice unsealed indictments against three alleged leaders of the Gulf Cartel. The leaders are Ezequiel Cardenas-Guillen, Heriberto Lazcano-Lazcano and Jorge Eduardo Costilla-Sanchez (pictured above). These individuals, each designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), have been indicted in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia for transporting and distributing large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana from Central and South America into the United States and Europe, primarily across the Southwest border. The Indictments also charge members of the Gulf Cartel with money laundering operations, and the use of violence in support of its other criminal activities.

If you have a tip, you can send information to the Department of Justice by clicking here. 

Under the leadership of President Calderon and Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora, the Mexican government has taken the fight against cartels to a historic level. Cooperation between the United States and Mexico in combating drug trafficking organizations, including the Gulf Cartel, is now at unprecedented levels. Since December 2006, for example, Mexico has extradited 145 fugitives to the United States. This includes, most relevant to today’s operation, the extradition in January 2007 of alleged Gulf Cartel leader Osiel Cardenas Guillen.