Subject: Fwd: Drop the Rock Demonstration Downtown tomorrow Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 17:14:53 -0400 To: lp_manhattan From: Bob Armstrong It's in my nbd . I'll be there . --- Original Message --- From: "Drug Policy Alliance"= To: =A0 Cc: Sent: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 16:37:14 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Reform New York's Brutal Drug Laws Now >=A0The New York State Assembly Just Passed a Bill that Could= Finally End One of the Country's Harshest Mandatory Minimum Drug= Sentencing Laws > >=A0The pressure is on the state political leadership to finally= reform New York's mandatory minimum drug laws - which require= prison sentences for low level drug offenders of up to 15 years= to life. We need your help in calling New York Governor George= Pataki, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Majority Leader= Joseph Bruno to demand meaningful Rockefeller drug law reform.= =A0Urge them to agree to adopt and implement the State Assembly= drug law bill now. =A0(See contact numbers below.) > >=A0The traditional cadre of Rockefeller drug law reformers has= been joined by a historic and diverse coalition, including= Russell Simmons, who has organized a rally with performances by= Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z, Nas and Erykah Badu, among others.= =A0(See Action 2 below.) =A0Also today, for the first time, the= highly-influential online organization MoveOn.org took out a= call to action to end the Rockefeller drug laws. > >=A0Governor Pataki has been promising for years that he will= reform these controversial, racist drug laws, but has failed to= negotiate a meaningful reform package with the state legislative= leaders. =A0Meanwhile, activists and family members with loved= ones in prison are calling for total repeal of the Rockefeller= drug laws. =A0Finally, yesterday, the New York State Assembly= passed a bill that is a compromise between these two positions,= while still allowing for substantial reform. > >=A0New York's drug sentencing laws are ineffective, racially= biased and wasteful because they ensnare the lowest level= offenders who often suffer from addiction. =A0Ninety-four percent= of those sentenced under the Rockefeller drug laws are black or= Latino, despite equal rates of drug use across races.= Community-based drug treatment would cost less and be much more= effective. =A0In fact, the Assembly bill is estimated to save New= York taxpayers $164 million dollars each year, according to a= recent study by the Legal Action Center. > >=A0As the Alliance's director of public policy Deborah Small was= quoted as saying in today's New York Times, real Rockefeller= drug law reform means: 1) sentences for nonviolent drug= offenders reduced so that they are proportionate to the= sentences of other nonviolent offenders; 2) retroactive= sentencing relief so that those currently in prison can be= released; and 3) the ability for judges to decide who qualifies= for drug treatment, rather than prosecutors, as the current law= dictates. > >=A0ACTIONS TO TAKE: > >=A01) Call Governor George Pataki (NYC Office 212-681-4580, Albany= Office 518-474-8390), Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver= (212-312-1400) and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno= (518-455-3191) and urge them to turn the Assembly bill to reform= the Rockefeller drug laws into law. > >=A02) Attend the rally to repeal the Rockefeller drug laws= tomorrow - Wednesday June 4 at 2:00 at City Hall Park South -= sponsored by the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the Mothers= for the New York Disappeared. =A0 Performers will include Sean "P.= Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z, Nas, Erykah Badu and more.= =A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=3D16404&l=3D1937 > >=A03) For more information, please see the Drug Policy Alliance= Web pages on this issue at: >=A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=3D16404&l=3D1936 > > > >=A0+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++= +++++++ >=A0You received this message because bob@cosy.com is a member of= the mailing list originating from= alerts@actioncenter.drugpolicy.org. > >=A0Please visit http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/unsubscribe to= unsubscribe from all lists. =A0Visit= http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/managesubscription.asp to= learn about other lists you can subscribe to. > >=A0For problems, please contact Jeanette Irwin at= jirwin@drugpolicy.org. > >=A0Please consider joining the Drug Policy Alliance:= http://www.drugpolicy.org/join --=A0 =A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864 =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02003/06/03 5:12:24 PM