Mayor Bloomberg’s former jails commissioner yesterday endorsed legalization of illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine — and even heroin.
“I would legalize drugs across the board,” said Martin Horn, who was corrections commissioner and probation director from 2002 to 2009. “We couldn’t do possibly worse than we’re doing now.”
Horn made the provocative comments in a WNYC interview with Alec Baldwin.
“I would sell it in the liquor stores. And I would tax the hell out of it,” Horn said. “Then I would take all the money that we’re spending and all the money we’re gonna make and I would reinvest it in prevention.”
Asked why he didn’t advocate for legalization when he was corrections boss, Horn said, “Because I had a mortgage to pay.”
A mayoral spokesman gave a terse “no” answer when asked if Bloomberg agreed with Horn’s drug-legalization advocacy.
Horn also supports reducing prison sentences for all but the most violent criminals.
Horn is now a criminal justice consultant and professor.