The state of Washington continues to take positive steps towards ending the war on drugs. Earlier this week, governor Jay Inslee unveiled a new process that allows Washington citizens with low-level drug convictions to apply to get their sentence commuted.
Individuals that are actively on community supervision for low-level drug possession can petition to get their sentence commuted (in other words, reduced) by Inslee. Over 1,200 people qualify to go through this process at this instant. Since its introduction, the governor has granted clemency to 129 people with dozens more being issued every day.
COVID has created countless challenges in our criminal justice system.
Jay Inslee, governor of Washington state
“I am committed to doing what I can to try to remedy the situation and assist the courts who are doing what they can to get through this backlog of cases,” Inslee said.
Image by Emma Claire via Unsplash
Washington changes possession of certain controlled substances to a misdemeanor
This comes shortly after new laws on controlled substances went into effect earlier this year in Washington. Possession of cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine is no longer a felony, but rather a misdemeanor. It is now only punishable by up to 90 days in jail, but allegedly rarely even makes it that far.
It moves the system from responding to possession as a felony to focusing on the behavioral health response, which is a much more appropriate and successful way to address the needs that underlie drug abuse.
Jay Inslee, governor of Washington state on drug policy
Under this new law, defendant’s will be sent to treatment for their first two offenses. If their case reaches a prosecutor, the prosecutor is also able to divert them to treatment.
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