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Thundering silence no more: On Thursday Senator Webb (D-VA) held his second hearing on the topic: Mass Incarceration. At What Cost? Senators and Congressmen heard more testimony from experts on the massive impact locking up 2.3 million people has on the country. Though media was scarce, our issue is finally receiving the attention it deserves. After the hearing I spoke to Senator Webb for a minute, providing an answer to a question which the panel was unable to ask (how does expenditure of time arresting 845,000 for cannabis impact the other aspects of public safety/police work?). Thanks to the suggestion of Ethel in Florida & Eric here in DC, the next day I submitted that answer in writing which was made part of the permanent record for the hearing. As I made office visits on Friday, it was simply wonderful to tell the aides that, ‘look to Senator Webb on this issue. He is lighting a candle & speaking out.’ Small steps. Below I am including the text of my statement given to Webb’s committee: Testimony for the Joint Economic Committee, June 19, 2008 Assessing U.S. drug policy and providing a base for future decision Howard J. Wooldridge Bath Township, MI Police Detective Howard J. Wooldridge, (retired) At the hearing of the Joint Economic Committee which Senator Webb chaired on June 19, 2008 two questions asked by the Members were not fully answered. Therefore, I would like the following information be included as part of the record for that hearing. Regarding Senator Webb’s question on how the expenditure of time to arrest some 845,000 persons per year on marijuana charges impacts other areas of law enforcement: During my fifteen (15) years of police service I learned that my profession often searches and does not find anything illegal. Thus, one can not simply extrapolate the number of arrests times X hours of time per arrest. An average of ten (10) vehicle searches must be conducted in order to find one containing marijuana. Conservatively, 7-8 million hours of patrol time are spent enforcing marijuana prohibition laws. This results in less time for effective DUI, reckless driving and other traffic enforcement priorities. Regarding Congressman Hinchey’s question of the percentage of prisoners whose crime touches in someway drug prohibition laws: My experience as a detective and in speaking with colleagues show 70-75% of felony crime touches drug prohibition policy. Whether crimes committed go up or down, drug prohibition continues to be the engine driving the vast majority of felony crime in America.

We have a new address but our director Dennis Sobin's legal status remains unchanged. Please note that the new location of the Prisons Foundation is 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC 20006. It is the same location as our Prison Art Gallery. The move will permit a more streamlined and efficient operation. Meanwhile, the popular outdoor art kiosk and information center of the Prison Art Gallery at G and 7th Streets in Washington, DC will be open seven days a week, 10 am to 10 pm. News About Our Director Despite our insistance on a speedy trial, Dennis Sobin's trial following his arrest for attending public hearings at City Hall (see complete details in our original email below) has been put off until August 5, 2008. This poses a hardship since there are hearings and meetings at City Hall that Dennis is scheduled to attend, including one on a new bill to help ex-prisoners. In the meantime, here are the names and contact information of city hall officials who can transfer the person who falsely instigated the arrest, Dennis's estranged son Darrin Sobin. With such a transfer, Dennis will be able to go to city hall to visit these officials and attend hearings and meetings without fear of further arrest. If you haven't contacted them already, please do so today. They are feeling beleagured due to the many calls and emails they have received, and YOURS could be the turning point. Adrian Fenty, Mayor 202-724-8876 [email protected] (Mayor) 202-724-5556 [email protected] (Mayor's advisor) Vincent Gray, City Council Chairperson 202-724-8032 [email protected] (chief of staff) Jack Evans, City Councilmember (new phone #) 202-724-8058 [email protected] Phil Mendelson, Chair of Judciary Committee 202-724-8064 [email protected] ************************************************************* Below is the original email that the Prisons Foundation sent with details of the arrest of our director Dennis Sobin at a public hearing at city hall in Washington, DC Dennis Sobin, Director of the Prisons Foundation, went to City Hall to testify at a budget hearing on the priorities of the Attorney General's Office. This is routine for our director as these hearings represent important opportunities to advocate for alternatives to incarceration and the need for prosecutors to focus on serious crimes rather than non-violent offenses. One of those prosecutors happens to be Dennis Sobin's son, Darrin Sobin. He and his father have not seen eye to eye for some time. Last year the younger Sobin, Darrin, flexed his muscle as a government attorney by getting a stay away order to keep his father a set number of feet from him. Now he has gone the next step by having his father arrested for stepping foot in City Hall because Darrin has moved into an office in that building. When Dennis arrived for the hearing, his son knew of his presence because Dennis was on the witness list to testify. Dennis never got to testify because his son had him whisked out of the building in handcuffs and put in jail before a judge could release Dennis. By then the hearing was over. The building security officers who arrested Dennis have acknowledged that they were pressured to take this action by Darrin. They even went so far to try to appease Darrin, short of arresting his father, by offering to accompany Dennis to the City Council Chambers where the hearing was taking place and stay with him throughout his testimony. But Darrin rejected this. Darrin has let it be known that if his father returns to city hall for any reason, the same fate awaits him. It is therefore URGENT that the following officials at city hall be called TODAY to let our outrage be known. Says Dennis, "I don't want my son fired. That would be too extreme and a particular hardship for his children, my grandsons Alexander and Tristan." We are requesting that Darrin Sobin be relocated to the Attorney General's headqurters a few blocks away. That way our director Dennis can conduct Prisons Foundation business at city hall. Here are the names and phone numbers of officials at city hall who can make this happen. Please call them TODAY to get their assurance that this will indeed occur without delay. Even if you are not a resident of Washington you can demand action as a visitor who is shocked that such a thing could happen in the nation's capital. Adrian Fenty, Mayor, 202-724-8876 (This is Adrian's private number so please be brief when talking to him and please do not retain this number for any other purpose. He has been a supporter of the Prisons Foundation ever since his childhood friend Donald Thomas ended up in prison and needed our help.) Vincent Gray, City Council Chairperson, 202-724-8032 (Next to the mayor, Vincent is the most powerful person in city hall and has a reputation as a no-nonsense official. Dennis worked for his campaign and helped get him elected in 2006.) Jack Evans, City Councilmember, 202-724-8058 (As chair pro temp, Jack is number three in power at city hall. He also happens to be the councilmember representing Dennis in Ward 2. Still, Dennis cannot visit him at city hall as long as Darrin Sobin is there.) Phil Mendelson, Chair of Judciary Committee, 202-724-8064 (Phil is an at-large councilmember who chaired the hearing at which Dennis was set to testify and is reportedly upset at what happened there. He can bring about Darrin Sobin's transfer in the interest of justice and democracy.) On a personal note, Dennis is in good spirits and continues to meet his responsibilities daily as our director.... Thank you for calling the above city hall officials and demanding that action be taken TODAY. Please call us at 202-393-1511 or email [email protected] if you need further information. Thank you for your help and support in this crisis.

 Â Â [Courtesy of Drug Policy Alliance] 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2008

CONTACT: Daniel Robelo at (510) 229-5211 or Reena Szczepanski at (505) 983-3277

  United States Conference of Mayors Unanimously Passes Resolution Calling for City-Coordinated Drug Overdose Prevention Efforts

Nation’s Mayors Seek Policy Reforms that Will Save Both Lives and Dollars by Preventing Unnecessary Overdose Deaths 
Mayors Support Increased Access to Opioid Antagonist Medications and Adoption of Good Samaritan Immunity Policies that Shield Individuals Who Report Opioid-Related Health Emergencies from Prosecution

  WASHINGTON - June 25 - On Saturday, the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) unanimously adopted a resolution supporting policies that could save thousands of lives by treating drug overdoses before they become fatal. “Last year, our nation’s mayors agreed that we must address the problems of substance use and abuse with a public health approach. This year we have continued that work by calling for policies that increase public safety by preventing unnecessary deaths. These policies have saved lives in Santa Fe and will work in other cities,” said Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, who sponsored the resolution at the 76th USCM Annual Meeting in Miami, Florida.

Adopted resolutions become the official policy of the USCM, which speaks as one voice to promote best practices and the most pressing priorities of our nation’s cities. The USCM last year declared the war on drugs a failure and called for a “New Bottom Line” in U.S. drug policy, which should be measured by the number of lives saved rather than the number of people imprisoned. This year’s resolution sets forth a comprehensive strategy for cities and states to reduce overdose morbidity and mortality by:

• Supporting local programs that distribute naloxone – an opiate antagonist medication effective in reversing the respiratory failure that typically causes death from opioid overdose – directly to drug users, their friends, families and communities;
• Urging state governments to adopt emergency “Good Samaritan” immunity policies that shield from prosecution people who are experiencing or have witnessed an accidental or intentional drug overdose and who have contacted 911 to request emergency medical treatment for the victim of drug toxicity or overdose;
• Calling on the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urgently fund research to evaluate scientifically the effectiveness of overdose prevention interventions and develop model programs; and
• Calling on the Food and Drug Administration to take all necessary and reasonable steps to facilitate the testing and approval of nasal and/or over-the-counter formulations of naloxone and to consider recommending prescription naloxone concurrent with prescribing strong opioid analgesics.

The mayors’ action responds to the facts that drug overdose is the second leading cause of injury death in the United States and that many overdose fatalities occur because peers delay or forego calling 911 for fear of arrest or police involvement – continually identified by researchers as the most significant barrier to the ideal first response of calling emergency services.

Nearly one hundred colleges and universities have adopted Good Samaritan immunity policies that have proven effective in encouraging students to seek help in the event of an alcohol or other drug overdose. New Mexico recently enacted the first such law in the country – the 911 Good Samaritan Act of 2007 – and similar life-saving legislation is pending in several states across the country, including California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington.

“Life-saving medications exist and must be made more widely available in the event of an overdose. At the same time, a victim or witness must not be afraid to ask emergency personnel for assistance. It should never be a crime to save someone’s life. The true crime is condoning policies that prevent victims from receiving that medication,” said Daniel Abrahamson, director of Legal Affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance.

Naloxone can be safely administered by non-medical professionals intravenously, intramuscularly and intranasally. Programs that provide overdose prevention education, rescue breathing training and take-home naloxone have been developed in New Mexico, Connecticut, Northern California, and the cities of Baltimore, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

In 2000, drug overdoses resulted in $2.24 billion worth of direct medical costs and an estimated $23.7 billion in lost productivity. Naloxone distribution pilot programs are inexpensive and have been added to existing services without the need for increased staff or space. These programs have been shown to save cities money by averting significant health care costs and have already saved several thousand lives.

The resolution is available here.