Dear Editor:
I’m writing this letter to show my strong support for the bills being proposed by Senators Sandra Cunningham and Raymond Lesniak to reform our criminal justice system. I also applaud Governor Christie for his recent statements about the “War on Drugs,” its deep costs, and how we must begin to look at harm reduction policies. It takes courage for any political leader to speak out about the current state of our criminal justice system, especially in the face of the dreaded “soft-on-crime” label. Instituting drug courts and felon re-enfranchisement is a great starting place, but much more can be done.
New Jersey’s recent pill monitoring program is a great example of smart harm reduction policy. Ending the federal drug prohibition and treating marijuana like alcohol would be optimal, but I doubt there is the political courage in Washington to do that. But there should be, especially when you take into consideration the horrific violence in Mexico that has resulted from the prohibition’s empowerment of drug cartels.
If we look at history, the prohibition against alcohol didn’t work either. That ill-planned experiment only served to empower violent thugs like Al Capone, and the current prohibition against drugs has had a similar effect. Bringing drug prohibition to an end would make for great bipartisan politics at a time when we sorely need it, and would most certainly boost Congress’ anemic approval rating. In the meantime, I suggest Senators Cunningham and Lesniak take a look at the following ideas:
The Cory Maye/Jose Guerena Rule: The misuse of criminal informants in drug cases, more commonly referred to as “snitches”, must be addressed. The “stop snitching” movement, however ugly, exists for a reason. Due to police tactics and corruption related to the “War on Drugs”, entire generations of American’s are growing up with no trust in law enforcement. New Jersey should look to create a statewide policy that has a strict code of conduct on the use of criminal informants.
Alternatives to Juvenile Detention. Every time we send a child to prison, we start them down the path of criminal institutionalization. Ultimately this approach has proven to have negative outcomes, both socially and economically. We need to be force-feeding math and science down the throats of troubled juveniles, not putting them through de-facto gang recruitment centers.
Harm Reduction Policies- The following policy ideas should be taken under consideration: Good Samaritan 911 laws, funding for voluntary detox centers, and tattoo removal programs.
Mandatory Drug Testing For Criminal Justice System Employees- If we are to continue the “War on Drugs”, the public should at least be confident that those trusted to administer justice can in no way be considered hypocritical. This includes elected officials, judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement.
Michael J. Shurin
Republican Candidate for Congress in NJ’s new 8th Congressional District