Drugs and prison: interview to italian criminal lawyer Alexandro Maria Tirelli

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 27, 2010 -- Lawyer, the drug market is still growing?
The alarm raised by forty years is still valid. The spread of drugs, has deep and far roots, but in these forty years we could have put in place cultural, legislative and structural cornerstones. Rather than talking about specific and targeted intervention through the bars to the addict, should be provided obligations, commitments, trails, educational facilities, as is, for example, the community. It must however be careful that the need and the right to assistance do not become an excuse

to continue to cry and be sorry for themselves. The problem lies elsewhere: the company must ask for whom and for what is needed the prison. Unfortunately, I think that the theme drugs goes on only for ideological issues, both form one side and the other of political deployment.
How does it feel to defend big criminals, such as some characters of Colombian and Mexican cartels?

I must say first that I have never dealt with traffickers, but people. And when you deal with people you are always a prophet, because if one knows how to look at the heart of a marginalized person, you will see which are the paths of the discomfort. Do not let appearances deceive, as it happens - for example - when we try to understand the problem of drug addiction by studying the flow of drug trafficking or use of substances. It would be like trying to understand the sexual problems of the Italians through the analysis of the prostitution market. Let’s ask ourselves for who and what is the prison needed and, therefore, if the detention is the only type of sentence to impose, not just to the addict but to all citizens who commit
crimes.
As regards the issue of consumers, namely drug addicts, do you believe that they are actually recoverable?
The Community of recovery, when finds individuals who believe to get free from drug addiction, is able to change the personalities, managing to bring out the best of human beings, although sometimes this side of the ego is too well hidden. Left the Community, the subject is facing a new life, for which has long fought, but too often it becomes
impossible for the lack of real opportunities in society.

Said that, it's true though, that without setting up lanes for disadvantaged categories of ex (drug addicts, prisoners, alcohol addicts, homeless, etc..), The State, through its peripheral organizations, should give to those who have demonstrated responsibility some tools that for a period, would help him to unlock a situation, to break a knot. I think that the SERT could, for example, do much in this field, working on the land and, hang up those who left the community, or have
finished paying the bill with the State.
What prevents the policy of not wasting any more time and to legislate properly?

Many politicians, like the ex Minister Livia Turco, the Senator Imposimato, the Minister Giovanardi, Mr D'Antoni, and many others, show care, meaning that they seem interested in a fight that does not look solely to repression, but to the recovery of the condemned. What prevents the current ministers to legislate properly, you should ask them. It is always possible to compare different points of view in order to grow the debate. It would be enough, however, that they will start
to legislate. Unfortunately, I think that the theme drugs goes on only for ideological issues, both form one side and the other of political deployment. Who is at the Government should subordinate policies on drugs and other subjects, to issues of jurisdiction and management of funds.
Despite this, the Government seems at times eager to make progress, taking away legal formulation of compromise.
A year ago to the news you have declared that "prison is a school of crime, and not needed. A young boy enters as a little thief and exits robber and bandit".

For years, I’ve said and written that "one year in prison is worse than a year of drugs", and support the concept that you can not treat the drug addicts who commit crimes, as simply sick and unable of all civil and criminal responsibility. Now this would mark their final sentence. The problem lies elsewhere: ask for whom and what is the prison needed and, therefore, if the detention is the only type of sentence to impose.
Surely there is the criminal who is difficult to recover, however, not negotiable, so the first thing to do is take away from him any form of physical freedom. But for the others, I believe we can find different levels of coercive action, proportionate to the crime and circumstances of the person. So, rather than speaking of the specific and targeted intervention in prison, for which crimes are substantially attributable to a condition of life that has even led to drugs, should be included obligations, commitments, trails, educational facilities..

Making an hybrid - that means, a prison which is also a community – is not useful, because it creates confusion in the person and among people.

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