Drug war continues, fueled by re-arrests and innovation

Cocaine and alcohol were 44-year-old Maurice Graham’s ammunition for more than a decade.

He entered the drug war at a party where peer pressure led him to experiment at the age of 18. He left the fight more than a year ago with a criminal record longer than his age. Although he is out of prison for multiple burglary charges, he is expected to spend the next 44 years on parole.

“An addiction is just that. It could come up at any time.  It wasn’t always easy to change,” said Graham, who now serves as associate pastor of The Ordinary People Society (T.O.P.S.) Ministries in Dothan. “After going in and out of jail for 16 years, this time I was ready to change.”

President Barack Obama allotted $15.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2010 toward drug enforcement and prevention that would help people who were like Graham. Less is slated for prevention than last fiscal year, while most is to fund drug interdiction and investigation units.

But if statistics mark success, then Ozark Police Chief Tony Spivey said any additional money for the Wiregrass Violent Crimes/Drug Task Force can strengthen results and help people - after their arrests - enter rehabilitation programs by way of the justice system.

The increase in stats could also show a sign of a growing problem.

“We’ve gotten really good results over the past several years and our goal has been to get the dealers and then the suppliers, but the bad thing is when we make headway, dealers come up with some new innovation to keep a step ahead of us,” Spivey said.

“It’s a tough, tough road a lot of times because suppliers, especially this year, are out of Miami, Texas and Atlanta. You see a lot of marijuana, crack and cocaine come into this area.”

Spivey said the Wiregrass Violent Crimes/Drug Task Force initiated 719 drug investigations in Ozark in 2008 that resulted in 536 drug arrests and $253,020 in seizures of various types of drugs. Already this year, the department seized $543,765 in drugs and initiated 474 drug investigations, he said.

Intelligence from local community members was key in many of the arrests, Spivey said, though often the charges are against people who have been arrested before for the same crimes.

Nearly 35 percent of Alabama’s inmates who were released from prison in 2005 after serving a sentence for drug-related crimes have gone back to prison between 2005 and 2008, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.

Newton Police Chief John Beistline said a bulk of his career has been spent re-arresting suspected drug violators for misdemeanor drug crimes.
“I have no pity for drug dealers, but if a person is a user and life doesn’t offer chances for employment or stability, then they go back to what they know and this cycle starts,” he said.

“They go to prison a few years, come back, then essentially go back to doing what they used to do. And it’s the families to dish out bail money and sit during court dates that suffer until the person has a change of heart.”

State and local programs handed down through the courts have sought to keep first-time offenders from being re-offenders, and in turn help curb drug arrests.

But those programs cost money, Dale County Special Programs Manager Cheryl Leatherwood said. Leatherwood is an official with drug court, which recently began in Dale and Geneva counties.

“ I was disappointed to see that President Obama did not follow through on his promise to stop the ‘War on Drugs.’  He did not increase funding for treatment interventions and working with the courts to identify those who can benefit from intervention programs,” she said.

“I know that drug court and the intensive judicial intervention is helping.  We have had graduates in the past couple of months and have many more slated for graduation over the summer ... .”

Leatherwood said regulations surrounding drug court are set up so that only people seeking a real change are allowed entry.

Sixteen of the 65 participants in Dale and Geneva counties were removed or terminated from the program, while four have graduated.
But it’s not the program that fails, Graham said. It’s people.

“In the prison system a lot of times I took rehab courses to get out and not to get help. The programs didn’t fail me, I failed them because they teach you that you have to want it. Now at T.O.P.S. I help other people know we’re not second-class citizens, we’re second-chance citizens,” Graham said. “I want to repay the community I helped destroy.”

Graham said T.O.P.S. offers education and reform programs to people who seek their help, as well as job preparation classes.

“We have computer education programs, G.E.D. courses, everything a lot of people need to get back on their feet,” he said.

“And we have God. For me, that was the only way change started.”

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President’s drug budget
The Administration’s plan for reducing drug use and availability is based around four major policy areas: (1) Substance abuse prevention, (2) Substance abuse treatment, (3) Domestic law enforcement; and (4) Interdiction and international counterdrug support. In Fiscal Year 2010, the President requests $15.1 billion in support of these key policy areas, which is an increase of $224.3 million, or 1.5 percent over the FY 2009 enacted level of $14.8 billion.
Breakdown:
Treatment—$3.6 billion
Prevention—$1.6 billion
Domestic Law Enforcement—$3.7 billion
Interdiction—$4 billion
International—$2.2 billion
Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy, http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

Drug offense court programs
Pre-Trial Diversion - First-time offenders are required to attend and complete the court referral program (substance abuse education/treatment) as part of the program. Upon completion of the requirements placed on them, their charges are dismissed.
Drug Court - Offenders are required to attend and complete substance abuse treatment, frequent drug testing, and weekly court appearance with the judge. Upon completion of the requirements placed on them, their charges are dismissed.
State Probation - Offenders are required to report to the probation officer and attend court referral program (substance abuse education/treatment) as a condition of probation or attend the Life Tech facilities to seek assistance for their issues. Those placed on probation have a conviction on their record.
Community Corrections - Non-violent offenders who would otherwise be sentenced to prison are allowed to stay at home and work to support their families while attending substance abuse treatment and other programs to aid them in becoming more productive citizens. Those placed in community corrections have a conviction on their record, in addition to a prison sentence.
Source: Dale County Community Corrections