Violence Decreasing, but Drug Use Remains High.

• Position: Brief Article

According to a report released by the American Bar Association (ABA), despite increased Federal funds, higher levels of drug arrests, and higher incarceration rates, illegal drug use is on the rise across the nation. Overall, though, the state of criminal justice is improving. The incidence of violent crime and property crime is down for the sixth straight year; homicide rates have declined in most of the nation's largest cities; and the court system is improving its ability to keep up with increasing criminal caseloads.

The news is not all good, however. An estimated 14,000,000 Americans are regular drug users; heroin use has tripled in the last four years; cocaine is becoming the drug of choice for younger users; and the mean age for initial marijuana use--usually considered the gateway drug--has dropped to 16.

"This information is cause for concern," maintains Myrna Raeder of Los Angeles, chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section. "It suggests that the current policy of simply arresting and incarcerating drug users does not work."

Despite the drop in arrests for violent crime and property offenses, the report finds that the number of offenders committed to prison continues to go up. Correctional populations and prison costs have escalated and death penalty executions have risen significantly. The reason for these divergent trends is unclear.

ABA president Philip S. Anderson urges that current policies be subjected to critical analysis to determine their effectiveness. "Now is the time for us to...