Drugs And Incarceration

The Daily Record discusses a new report published by the Justice Policy Institute entitled “Tipping Point: Maryland’s Overuse of Incarceration and the Impact on Public Safety." The report praises the Maryland legislature for passing SB 194, the so called 2004 "treatment not jail" legislation but faults the state for not going far enough to reduce what it sees as excess levels of incarceration. SB 194, which became law in October '04, permits, in certain instances, non-violent drug offenders to be committed to a drug treatment program rather than to prison.