NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam today unveiled a comprehensive plan to reduce drug abuse and trafficking, curb violent crime and lower the rate of repeat offenders in Tennessee.
“Keeping our citizens safe is one of state government’s primary responsibilities,” said Haslam, who unveiled with plan with Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons. “This action plan is a detailed road map that addresses some of our toughest safety challenges head on.”
Proposals include:
* Making improvements to the current prescription drug data base to make it easier to identify abusers.
* Developing regional alliances with other states to tackle prescription drug abuse.
* Placing nonviolent drug addicts into drug court treatment programs.
* Imposing tougher sentences for certain types of gang-related crimes.
* Enacting tougher sentences for gun possession by those with prior violent felony convictions.
* Moving supervision of adult felons on probation, parole and community corrections over from the Board of Probation and Parole over to the Department of Correction.
* Mandating incarceration time for repeat domestic violence offenders.
Steps have already been taken in some areas.
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
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