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Archived Press Releases 2009 8th January 2009

Kim Workman driving the wrong ambulance

(8th January 2009)

Kim Workman, director of the Rethinking Crime and Punishment project, is stuck in the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

He's questioning the Government's determination to get tough on criminals by not allowing drug offenders' home detention, and has suggested the Government should invest in the establishment of community-based rehabilitative programmes for drug offenders rather than send them to prison.

He correctly identifies that There is a severe shortage of community-based drug treatment at present, and that it is now time to "get smart" rather than "get tough".

Sensible Sentencing's Spokesperson on Drug Issues, Christine Davey says that "Getting smart would involve educating people not to use drugs in the first place, and then intervening in their drug use BEFORE they offend."

1. It would involve allowing hard-hitting anti-drug ads on our TV screens, alongside the hard-hitting anti-alcohol and anti-cigarette ads.
2. It would involve a partnership between families, the community and Police to intervene in illicit drug use at family request (requiring more community-based rehabilitative programmes for drug offenders), and
3. It would involve the removal of unsupervised access to children for known drug users, so that the likes of little Riley Osborne could still be alive today.

Now THAT would be smart.

As we seem to share at least one common concern, perhaps Mr Workman would like to consider joining the Sensible Sentencing Trust in our ambulance at the top of the cliff.

Regards,

Christine Davey
Sensible Sentencing Spokesperson on Drug Issues,
mobile 027 6376166