Posted by Mark H. on March 15, 2000, at 17:17:09
In reply to Deb R, posted by Janice on March 15, 2000, at 13:08:33
Deb R, Janice's gentle and compassionate point of view is refreshing and wonderful. In the United States, 30% of the prisoners in federal prison have been convicted of non-violent drug crimes, such as growing pot and manufacturing LSD, and most have NO OTHER CRIMINAL RECORD. This is a blight on our nation's record on human rights.
The "war on drugs," a war we have utterly lost, took on paramilitary overtones as more and more federal funds were made available to state, county and local law enforcement agencies for the eradication of marijuana and other drugs.
As these funds became a significant source of local county and municipal funding, those involved took the "war" more and more seriously. It is now assumed that those who self-medicate -- often the young, poor, mentally ill, or culturally disadvantaged -- are major felons and deserved to be locked up with murderers, rapists, and armed robbers. This, of course, is ludicrous.
The most important reason for early intervention is NOT punishment, for heaven's sake, but to KEEP THE CHILD FROM ENTERING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AT ALL. For all the potential perils of illegal drug use, ranging from the tragedies of injury and death caused by drunken driving to lost potential by being too stoned to learn anything in school, by far the worst possible outcome is that a child who needs accommodation and tutoring for learning disabilities (whatever their cause) is instead branded a criminal and warehoused without hope of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation or compassionate support.
Please encourage the parent to take the child to a physician for evaluation and treatment as soon as possible. The parent must insist that the system work FOR the child before he is lost to cruel and useless punishment because the symptoms of his illness have been deemed "criminal."
This is one of the great tragedies of our time.
poster:Mark H.
thread:26851
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000312/msgs/27139.html