Let Johnson County Voters Decide

 

Place a County Wide Marijuana Referendum on the Ballot

Stop arresting pot smokers, giving students an arrest record & crowding our jail with non-violent offenders

How is it that the Sheriff can say that people in the jail for marijuana offenses aren't causing the overcrowding, if, as he also says, the statistics for who is in there for what offenses, are not available? 

If the stats aren't available, how does he know those jailed for marijuana offenses aren’t taking up needed beds?  Unlike some alcohol offenses, all pot arrests must be booked into the jail so it must be possible to get the exact number jailed for those offenses and the exact number using a bed, if only for one night.

If the statistics have been gathered, they surely should be available as public records.  If they haven't been gathered, that is a weak position from which to argue, especially considering the spreadsheet/computerized information age we are in. Maybe we should start there, by finding out just how many people take a bed -- no matter for how long -- for marijuana related offenses, before jumping into another attempt to pass a bond issue.

Public opinion is vital in passing a bond issue. If the prevailing public opinion is that pot offenses aren't worth jailing people for and there is a layer of simmering resentment towards the hounding of marijuana users by the Drug Task Force, now is the time to test the waters with a ballot measure asking voters to approve a referendum that affirms the desire of the voters of Johnson County that county law enforcement jurisdictions make the arrest of personal use of marijuana  their lowest law enforcement priority.

If there is an election to fill Sally Stutsman's soon-to-be-vacated Supervisor seat, there is a good opportunity to put this measure on the ballot as well. Look at the 2012 election results nationally as reported by NORML:

          http://blog.norml.org/

Prohibition doesn't work, and as long as it is in effect in Johnson County, it's going to be very hard to pass a jail bond issue.

Carol deProsse
Caroline Dieterle

P.S. In case you'd like to relive a bit of history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwesp_KgoXs