ISER lunchtime talk today: War on Drugs not working too well

Monday, August 4 from noon to 1 p.m.
ISER Conference Room, Diplomacy Building

The decades-long federal War on Drugs is the topic of the lunchtime talk today from noon to 1 p.m. at UAA's Institute of Social and Economic Research.

Michael J. Gilbert, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, will begin the discussion with a presentation titled "The War on Drugs: Is It Working?"

Dr. Gilbert, who was formerly a corrections officer in Alaska and has 37 years of experience in corrections and the criminal justice system, believes current U.S. drug policy is not working. His contention is that the War on Drugs has failed to reduce drug use or drug-related crime and violence. Actually, says Dr. Gilbert, by making marijuana and other drugs illegal, the government has created a profitable black market of distribution as well as increased drug-related crime.

Dr. Gilbert will discuss alternatives he believes would be better at controlling drug use and reducing crime and other social ills associated with illicit drug use.

The Massachusetts-based Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, or LEAP, is an organization of police officers, prosecutors and others in the criminal justice system who believe drug abuse is an ill but the drug war is worse.

ISER's lunchtime talk takes place in the Conference Room, 5th floor of the Diplomacy Building, 4500 Diplomacy Drive, corner of Tudor Road and Tudor Centre Drive. Parking is free.

Call (907) 786-7710 for directions or more information.