News of the Day 9-27-06

A couple of good series finished today. This one in the NY Times chronicles NY's justice courts (old style "justice of the peace" types), their problems, their defenders, and the political ineffectiveness of opponents (or the power of their protectors). Of extra interest here because of all the commissions that have recommended their abolition over several decades now and failed. Sound familiar? And this one from the Grand Rapids Press spells out the current and coming impact of aging offenders in MI, which already spends more on its prisons than on its colleges (read to see why the gap will widen). This is the timebomb ticking quietly to the side in most states as the chickens of Truth in Sentencing begin to roost. This series doesn't really offer surprises, but it's a nice review, update, and primer on the topic. . . . Finally, Chemical & Engineering News (?!) reports that medications for treating addictions have nearly doubled in recent years, with drug companies "increasingly viewing addiction as a target for drug development." Technocorrections, anyone???