Update, Thursday, March 26, from New York Civil Liberties Union: Albany Agreement a Step Toward Dismantling Rockefeller, But Not a Done Deal and Not Repeal. The deal reached in principle … could be an important step toward dismantling New York State’s draconian drug laws. But what has been outlined so far is only an agreement in principle ” not law” and it does not fully repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws.
“Substance abuse is a public health issue, said Donna Lieberman, NYCLU executive director. “For 36 years, New York State has been locking up people who suffer from addiction and mental illness but that didn’t make us safer, remove drugs from the streets or serve the interests of our communities. Letting go of this backwards, ineffective approach and looking toward new ways to promote public health and public safety is an important step in the right direction, but it is just that, a step.”
Some participants in the rally, heading home after it ended.
WORD Senior Producer/Editor Kisha Allison has been working on a multimedia project about the Rockefeller Drug Laws and, based on the NYT report, will be revising or updating. WORD writer Frankie Garcia, at the rally in front of Governor Paterson’s mid town Manhattan office yesterday, also will be revising or updating his project, too.
Frankie Garcia covering the rally for the WORD.
Tags: Frankie Garcia, Governor Paterson, Kisha Allison, Rockefeller Drug Laws