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July 23, 2007 |
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Al Gore III
Faces Three Years in Prison For
Drug Posession; Californians Urge
Alternative to Incarceration
CA Law Offers Treatment to 36,000
Non-violent, Low-level Drug Offenders—Famous
and Not—Every Year
Gore
Heads to Court as CA Senate Debates
Budget Cuts to Prop. 36
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| Contact:
Dave Fratello (310) 394-2952 or Margaret
Dooley (858) 336-3685 |
LOS ANGELES, July 23
– Al Gore III, the 24-year-old son
of the former vice-president, is facing
more than three years in prison for simple
drug possession following an arrest in
Southern California earlier this month.
Advocates call for Gore to receive what
most non-violent, low-level drug offenders
in California do—community-based
treatment instead of incarceration under
Prop. 36, passed by 61% of voters in 2000.
The DA of Orange County will determine
Gore’s eligibility to the program
in the next couple of weeks.
Margaret Dooley, Prop.
36 Coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance,
said “It is a tragedy when anyone
enters the criminal justice system—rather
than the healthcare system—because
of his drug use. Thanks to Prop. 36, people
in California can address those problems,
without adding the trauma and stigma of
incarceration. We hope the court will
find that Gore is one of the tens of thousands
who could benefit from Prop. 36 this year.”
Over 36,000 people—famous
and not—benefit from Prop. 36 each
year. Daniel Baldwin, brother of Alec
Baldwin, last week told Larry King that
Prop. 36 intervened in his long-term cocaine
addiction and allowed him to access the
treatment he needed. His story is similar
to that of Rudy Mendez, a not-so-famous
resident of San Diego, who entered Prop.
36 to treat his long-term addiction to
heroin, and has been sober for five years.
Both men are now spokesmen for recovery
and work with others to spread the news
that “Recovery Happens!” and
that one way to get there is Prop. 36.
Gore’s arrest and
Baldwin’s interview come just as
the California Senate considers cutting
funding to Prop. 36, in exchange for hefty
tax breaks for large corporations. Advocates
say the plan to cut funding to the life-saving
and cost-effective program is a slap in
the face of California voters.
In 2000, 61 percent of
California voters approved Prop. 36, permanently
changing state law so that all eligible
non-violent drug possession offenders
must be given the option of state-licensed
treatment. In just six years, over 70,000
Californians have graduated Prop. 36 and
taxpayers have saved $1.8 billion. For
more information, visit www.Prop36.org.
To see Larry King
interview Daniel Baldwin about his addiction
and Prop. 36, visit this
site.
Proposition
36 Fact Sheet
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