Release drug offenders

The NT Police Association has hit out at plans to lock up prisoners at the Darwin watch house (Northern Territory News, July 12).

A prison source told the newspaper about the problem over a month ago (Prisons overcrowded, June 4).

The NT has the dubious distinction of having an imprisonment rate almost as high as the US.

In fact, the NT imprisonment rate (more than 500 per 100,000) is five times higher than Qatar, Algeria and Burma.

This problem could easily be resolved if Clare Martin's Labor Government ordered the immediate release of all non-violent drug offenders from Territory jails.

Gary Meyerhoff
Rapid Creek

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Thur, 14 July 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Gary Meyerhoff
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283