THE WHITE HOUSE AT WORK



Tuesday, January 5, 1999

PRESIDENT CLINTON:
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR DRUGS IN PRISON

As we begin a new century and a new millennium, we have a remarkable opportunity to harness all the resources of our criminal justice system -- our courts, prisons, prosecutors, probation officers, and police -- to break the drug habits of our prisoners, and break the cycle of drugs and crime for all time. Let us seize it.

President Bill Clinton
January 5, 1999

Today at the White House, President Clinton will announce new resources to help states and localities test, treat, and sanction drug-involved offenders, including resources to enforce zero tolerance for drug use by prisoners, parolees, and probationers. The President will also release a report showing that drug use remains high among our nation's prisoners.

President Clinton Announces New Resources To Reduce Drug Use. The President is announcing new measures to ensure that the criminal justice system operates to keep offenders drug- and crime-free:

Targeting The Problem Of Drug Use In Our Prisons. Today, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics will release Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, a study on prisoner drug use. Key findings of this study include:

Building On A Record Of Accomplishment. Today's announcements build on the President's commitment to reducing drug use in prisons and get tough on prisoners who abuse drugs. The President fought for and signed legislation requiring states to drug test prisoners and parolees as a condition for receiving prison grants, expanded testing and treatment programs in federal prisons, and has lead the national drug court effort, expanding the number of drug courts from 12 in 1994 to over 400 today



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