Title:
LA: Take action to reduce the incarceration time for paroled marijuana users
Message:
While many states are looking at reducing their marijuana penalties during these tight economic times, the Louisiana Legislature is considering several bills to make marijuana users' lives even more difficult. However, in one bright spot, the legislature is considering a parole revocation bill that would slightly improve the plight of marijuana users. H.B. 117 would give certain offenders who make a mistake and are convicted of simple possession of marijuana while on parole slightly better treatment. H.B. 117 passed the House on April 7 and is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee C.
Please take action to let your senators know that it is the right thing to do to include simple possession of marijuana as a technical parole violation.
Currently, if an offender is charged with most types of crimes while on parole, parole will be revoked, and the offender will have to serve the remainder of his or her sentence in jail. However, if the offender only commits one "technical violation," the offender will only be required to serve up to 90 days in jail before being able to return to active parole supervision. Previously, "technical violations" excluded all marijuana-related crimes. Thus if an offender was convicted of larceny and received a sentence of five years and then was charged with a marijuana-related offense while on parole, he or she would have to return to prison to complete the whole original sentence. If H.B. 117 passes, if the parolee is charged with misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana as a parole violation, he or she will not have to go back to jail for more than 90 days before being returned back to parole. While this is a small change, any leniency demonstrated for marijuana users in Louisiana is important, and if even one marijuana user spends less time imprisoned, we can consider it a victory.
Unfortunately, the rest of the news in Louisiana is bad. The legislature is considering several bills that would discriminate against marijuana users and add even more fear and shame to their lives. Two welfare discrimination bills, H.B. 611 and H.B. 617, are under consideration in the House. These bills would require drug testing of some or all recipients of cash assistance.
Additionally, the House is considering H.B. 139, a ridiculous bill that would brand repeat drug offenders with a "scarlet letter," mandating that they carry special driver’s licenses that say "DRUG OFFENDER" on them.
Finally, the Senate continues to consider S.B. 576, which would actually increase the penalty for second-offense marijuana possession, even while many other states are considering reducing penalties in order to save time and money. This bill exacerbates an already harsh penalty by including a mandatory minimum fine of at least $250 and 48 hours in jail.
We will keep you updated on the progress of these wrong-headed, wasteful bills, and also of the parole reform legislation. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on so that even more Louisianans can participate in reform.
