THE DRUG WAR IS 'MISGUIDED'

Regarding the editorial ( "Our views: Future looks brighter for drug courts in Mississippi," May 24 ), there is no prison reform or drug court that will alleviate our prison problems until we reform our drug laws. 

Criminals aren't the only ones filling up our prisons. 

What do you think happens to a parolee who tests positive for marijuana or is caught possessing even a tiny amount of marijuana? Or a second-or third-time simple possession offender?

He or she will be sent back to prison.  And taxpayers will be paying for their room and board. 

Why should we send these people back to jail for doing something that presidents and many other politicians have admitted to doing?

I guess it's okay for our politicians to use marijuana, but the rest of Americans should be demonized and criminalized for it, right?

America better wake up soon and stop hypocritically prosecuting its citizens in the name of the drug war. 

Eighty years of this domestic policy disaster are quite enough.  And we wonder why we're having a problem with prison and courtroom overcrowding?

I don't want my children to have to endure another 80 years of this disastrous and misguided war that takes from education to build more prisons. 

Once we quit criminalizing responsible adults for using substances other than alcohol or tobacco, you won't have to ask yourself what we need to do about overcrowded prisons. 

Drug courts are not the answer.  These courts will continue to be overrun because what we've done is criminalize millions of Americans for something no different than possessing alcohol or tobacco. 

Why do we keep shooting ourselves in the foot via prohibition?

Scott Russ,

Baton Rouge, La.