Journeys For Justice across America

Paul Revere rides again A historic journey across America

Howard Wooldridge, a retired police detective from Fort Worth, Texas, is riding horseback from Los Angeles to New York City to raise awareness that US drug policy is a "public policy disaster".

Since his retirement in 1994, Wooldridge has become a bi-lingual speaker for the drug-policy reform movement, advocating an end to all drug prohibition. In 2003 he became a lobbyist in the Texas legislature, where he and others were able to help pass a bill that mandates no jail time for individuals arrested for personal amounts of any illegal drug.

Currently, he has joined forces with 44 other current and former members of law enforcement in 30 states, to form the organization known as LEAP: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Founded in 2002, LEAP is a non profit organization whose members believe that existing drug policies have failed in their intended goals of addressing the problems of crime, drug abuse, addiction, juvenile drug use, stopping the flow of illegal drugs into this country and the internal sale and use of illegal drugs.

Howard is backed up on the road by his wife, Norma Sapp, driving a motorhome put in their hands by the November Coalition.

According to the Long Riders Guild, no one in recorded history has ever ridden both directions across North America. The Guild selected Howard as one of the top dozen Longriders in the world. Howard flew to London on March 12, 2005 for a week, where he was honored with a weekend of events at the Royal Geographic Society Headquarters.

For more info, including regular blog entries from the road, see www.leap.cc/howard/.

Cycling for Justice

On July 12, 2005, David Losa of FACTS (Families to Amend California's Three Strikes) embarked on an epic Bicycle Journey for Justice: a 3,000 mile ride from his home in Santa Barbara, CA, arriving in Washington DC just in time for the FMI March on Washington DC on August 13th. David's efforts will promote the need for dramatic prison reform, and focus on the injustice of California's Three Strikes Laws.

David's brother, Doug is serving a prison sentence of 25 years-to-life under the Three Strikes Law. His third strike was for drug possession. Doug was found with an amount of methamphetamine so small it couldn't even be measured. So far he has served 9 years.

For details and to pledge support, see www.facts1.com/blog/2005/06/david-losas-3000-mile-bicycle-ride.html