South Carolina Supreme Court Reverses 20-Year Homicide Conviction of Regina McKnight

The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled this week that Regina McKnight, the first woman in the state to be convicted of homicide by child abuse as a result of suffering an unintentional stillbirth, did not receive a fair trial. DPA co-authored an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief in the case along with National Advocates for Pregnant Women. Amici argued that women do not lose their rights to a fair trial upon becoming pregnant, and challenged the state’s evidence that cocaine use or anything else that McKnight did or did not do caused the stillbirth.

> 35 Years of Rockefeller Drug Laws, and Hope There Won’t Be 36

New York governors come and go (some more swiftly than others). State lawmakers tend to hang around longer, but most of them eventually move on as well. For true endurance, the statutes known as the Rockefeller-era drug laws are hard to beat. The same may be said about attempts to scrap those laws, which came into being in 1973, so long ago that disco was just beginning to be hot.

> IHRA Launch ‘Global State of Harm Reduction 2008’ Report

To coincide with Harm Reduction 2008: IHRA’s 19th International Conference in Barcelona, IHRA have launched a major new report entitled ‘Global State of Harm Reduction 2008: Mapping the response to drug-related HIV and hepatitis C epidemics’. This report consolidates existing data on drug use, HIV and hepatitis C, documents harm reduction policies and practices worldwide, and records the activities of relevant multi-lateral agencies (such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime).

> Jobs at DPA

• Part-time Administrative Associate - San Francisco, CA
• Part-time Administrative Associate - Trenton, NJ
• Harm Reduction Associate - Los Angeles, CA
• Managing Director, Finance and Administration - New York, NY
• Administrative Associate - Los Angeles, CA

Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Students, young professionals and other movers-and-shakers in NYC: join us May 22nd for a cocktail bash and networking opportunity at an exclusive gallery space in Soho.  Try some absinthe (if you haven’t already) and find out how to come together to promote new drug policies based on science, compassion, health and human rights.  The event is free although donations will be encouraged.

May 22, 2008
New York, NY

2008 Global Conference on Methamphetamine

The first global conference on methamphetamine is coming up in Prague this September. As the first methamphetamine-focused event to gather global experts from varied fields, with diverse and even sometimes divergent perspectives, it's assured to be an unparalleled event. Early registration is now open -- sign up now for a reduced rate!

September 15-17, 2008
Prague, Czech Republic

>  Will Pot Ever Be Legal in This Schizoid Country?
    AlterNet (US Web) [05/01/08]    

>  America's Gulag Just Keeps Growing
    AlterNet (US Web) [04/25/08]

>  Conn. Prisoners Have Serious Addictions, Report Finds
    San Jose Mercury News (CA) [04/18/08]