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On the benefits to county budgets, local police coverage from reducing pot penalties

Grits has been arguing that budget cuts in corrections will require policy changes in addition to merely reducing line items at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, a reality that other states like Arizona and Oklahoma are struggling with as well. And one of the simplest, most elegant and helpful solutions would be to ratchet down drug penalties one notch all the way across the board - both for felony levels and misdemeanor marijuana charges. I've been focused on ways to save money in the state budget - particularly through lowering "less-than-a-gram" cases from a state jail felony to a Class A misdemeanor, and long-term by reducing the highest felony penalties (which at current levels often exceed murder sentences).But savings to county budgets would be significant as well, particularly as it regards marijuana arrests...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on November 10, 2010 (boomark / email).