ALBANY, Dec. 7 - After years of false starts, state lawmakers voted Tuesday evening to reduce the steep mandatory prison sentences given to people convicted of drug crimes in New York State, sanctions considered among the most severe in the nation.
The push to soften the so-called Rockefeller drug laws came after a nearly decade-long campaign to ease the drug penalties instituted in the 1970's that put some low-level first-time drug offenders behind bars for sentences ranging from 15 years to life.
Under the changes passed yesterday, which Gov. George E. Pataki said he would sign, the sentence for those same offenders would be reduced to 8 to 20 years in prison. The law will allow more than 400 inmates serving lengthy prison terms on those top counts to apply to judges to get out of jail early.
The changes reflected a nationwide push in recent years to lessen some of the punishments for drug offenders, as states like Michigan and Pennsylvania have moved to emphasize drug treatment options or to give judges more discretion in sentencing those convicted of narcotics crimes.
It's about time drug laws in this country reflected a bit more common sense.
First time offenders should never be jailed. Everybody makes a mistake and needs to chance to do better. Nobody should spend a day in jail over weed unless your are a major dealer, than it should be for tax evasion.
Dealers of hard drugs that addict should be at least locked up for life.
Personally, I won't blink an eye if they all received the death penalty.
It's damned expensive to house all those petty drug offenders-
California's learning that the hard way with their ridiculous 3 strikes law that sends peple to prison for life for stupid things like swiping pizza's.
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