National Drug Policy Alliance Newsletter ALERT: Action Now.

NEW ANTI-WAR VIDEO BY HIP-HOP MEGASTAR

Dear Fellow Reformer,

Harsh mandatory minimum sentences. Extreme racial disparities. Mass incarceration. Lack of affordable drug treatment. Loss of civil liberties. Destruction of families. Waste of billions of taxpayer dollars.

Watch the new video by Jim Jones: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=4180489&l=140381

Today marks the 34th anniversary of New York's draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws, which provided the model for America's longest running war: the war on drugs. Under the Rockefeller Drug Laws and the failed drug war, our country addresses drug use and abuse as a criminal issue, not a public health issue.

But the call for reform is getting louder every day. In observance of the anniversary of the failed Rockefeller Drug Laws, hip-hop megastar Jim Jones just released his new rap single, "Lockdown, USA," which calls for real reform of the RDLs and an end to the war on drugs. The song is a single from the forthcoming documentary, Lockdown, USA ( http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=4180489&l=140411 ).

This single by Jim Jones is not available in stores yet--but you can listen to the song, and watch the video, on our website: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=4180489&l=140381

Afterwards, please urge New York Governor Elliot Spitzer and President George W. Bush to end the Rockefeller Drug Laws in New York, and stop the failed war on drugs in America.

Take action now: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=4180489&l=140382

We need to let them know the whole country is watching!

Then send this message to five of your friends--give them an opportunity to see the new video by Jim Jones! Please also consider becoming a member of the Drug Policy Alliance and joining the movement to end the war on drugs: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=4180489&l=140383 .

Let's make sure the Rockefeller Drug Laws don't have a 35th anniversary. Together, we can end America's longest war and restore justice in our communities.

Sincerely,

Gabriel Sayegh
Director, State Organizing and Policy Project
Drug Policy Alliance

Lockdown, USA:

Jim Jones, a member of the popular hip-hop crew The Diplomats, rocketed to stardom on the success of his smash hit, "We Fly High," the number one rap single on the Billboard Monitor Rap Chart, from the number one album on the Billboard Independent Chart, Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment). Raised in Harlem--a community that has been hard-hit by the failed Rockefeller Drug Laws--Jones has seen first-hand the racially discriminatory impact of the war on drugs, making his call for reform on "Lockdown, USA" that much more meaningful.

The new song and video are being released as part of the Drug Policy Alliance-led effort to win real reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. DPA chairs Real Reform New York, a coalition made up of dozens of organizations representing thousands of community members, activists, advocates, policy and treatment experts, survivors, their friends and families. The coalition seeks to replace the ineffective Rockefeller Drug Laws with cost effective, community-based alternatives that promote real justice and public safety.

Rockefeller Drug Laws:

In New York, over 14,000 people are incarcerated under the failed Rockefeller Drug Laws. And despite the fact that research shows that drug use is equal across racial categories, a staggering 91% of those incarcerated under the Rockefeller Drug Laws are Black and Latino. Nationally, there are over 2.3 million people in U.S. prisons and jails-almost 500,000 of whom are incarcerated for drug charges.

This year, the New York State Assembly passed a bill ( http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=4180489&l=140384 ) that would enact real reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Now we need to make sure the Senate and the Governor approve this bill as well.

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