The National African American Drug Policy Coalition (NAADPC) used a meeting at the National Press Club yesterday (I wish I'd known about this before it happened) to launch a five-year campaign for reform. The group's heavyweight leadership includes retired Washington, DC superior court judge Arthur Burnett and drug-policy pioneer and former Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke. Group members include the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, National Bar Association and National Association of Black Psychologists.

On the local level, the group is targeting seven pilot cities: Baltimore; Washington; Chicago; Seattle; Huntsville, Ala.; Flint, Mich.; and another city to be named in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Smaller advisory groups will work to influence local judges and to lobby legislators.

"The drug courts are fine, but they are only dealing with an infinitesimal amount of people," said Burnett, a judge of 31 years, who helped advocate for drug courts years ago. "They don't have all the resources to deal with all the people who really need help. One of our big missions is to educate legislative bodies for more intensive and more elaborate treatment. To do that, they need more money."

Beyond reforming decades-old drug laws, Burnett wants to see black professionals play a larger role mentoring children in communities and keeping them out of the streets - and away from drugs.

Read more about the group here in the Baltimore Sun (subscription).

Tavis Smiley interviewed Judge Burnett and Clyde Bailey Sr. of NAADPC on his NPR show yesterday. Listen here.

[Update: Reader Trent (of Proximal Tubule fame) points out that Smiley missed the boat on the origins of the modern drug war -- blaming its genesis on Pres. Reagan. Trent traces it back to LBJ, one of our worst presidents, while I generally consider it the fault of Nixon, another of our worst presidents, who moved in the right direction in some ways and off the deep end in others.]