Is community control effective punishment for heroin traffickers?

WEBVTT AS FAR AS IMAGES GO, THESE WILLNEVER ESCAPE NICK KERN'S MIND.>> IT'S HARD TO THINK THAT WE'RELUCKY TO BE IN THIS SITUATION,BUT IN REALITY WE REALLY ARE.TODD: KERN'S LUCKY BECAUSE HISWIFE, SARAH, WASN'T KILLED WHENCHRISTOPHER BENTER'S PICKUPCROSSED THE CENTER LINE OF U.S.-- U.S. 50 IN ADDYSTON AND HITHER HEAD-ON.AT THE TIME, DETECTIVES SAIDDRUGS WERE LIKELY INVOLVED.NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILEDBECAUSE INVESTIGATORS AREWAITING FOR LAB RESULTS.>> YOU HOPE THAT IT'S ACOMPLETELY UNAVOIDABLE ACCIDENT.BUT YOU HEAR STORIES AND RUMORS.TODD: FIVE YEARS AGO, CHRISBENTER PLEADED GUILTY TO HAVINGA LOADED HANDGUN IN HIS CARILLEGALLY.POLICE SAID HE WAS HIGH ONMARIJUANA.IN 2014, BENTER PLEADED GUILTYTO HEROIN POSSESSION.BECAUSE HE WAS CONVICTED OF LOWLEVEL FELONIES, BENTER WASSENTENCED TO COMMUNITY CONTROL.>> IN MY MIND IT'S JUST ANOTHERWORD FOR PROBATION.IT'S ANOTHER WORD FOR NOTINCARCERATING SOMEBODY.TODD: IN LATE MARCH, BENTERSLAMMED HEAD-ON INTO SARAH KERN,A NEW MOM, ON HER WAY TO WORK.IN A STRANGE TWIST, SARAH'SHUSBAND WORKS AS A HAMILTONCOUNTY PROBATION OFFICER WHOKNOWS THE SYSTEM.>> IT'S A LOT MORE COMPLICATEDTHAN WHAT ANYBODY, FOR LACK OF ABETTER TERM, ANY CIVILIAN WHO'SNOT IN THAT REALM WOULDUNDERSTAND.TODD: BUT MORE AND MORE PEOPLETHINK THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN.>> YOU REMEMBER CALIFORNIA USEDTO HAVE THE THING, THREE STRIKESAND YOU ARE OUT?WELL RIGHT NOW IN OHIO, IT ISLIKE EIGHT, NINE STRIKES AND YOUARE STILL IN.TODD: TAKE THE CASE OF ROBERTEASTON.LAST SUMMER POLICE CHARGEDEASTON, A CONVICTED SEXOFFENDER, WITH DEALING HEROINAND FENTANYL.HE PLEADED GUILTY TO AGGRAVATEDDRUG TRAFFICKING, A FOURTHDEGREE FELONY.EASTON'S SENTENCE?COMMUNITY CONTROL, EVEN THOUGHJUST TWO WEEKS AGO OHIO GOVERNORJOHN KASICH WAS TALKING TOUGHABOUT GOING AFTER DEALERS.>> IF YOU'RE A HEROIN TRAFFICKERWE DON'T EXPECT YOU TO BE KEPTLOCALLY.IN FACT, WE'LL LOCK YOU UP ANDWE'LL MAKE YOU STAY THERE FOR ALONG TIME.TODD: EASTON ENDED UP UNDERARREST AGAIN IN JANUARY, CHARGEDWITH 23 NEW COUNTS RANGING FROMHEROIN TRAFFICKING TO GUNCHARGES.TO SAY THE PRESIDENT OFCINCINNATI'S FRATERNAL ORDER OFPOLICE IS FED UP IS ANUNDERSTATEMENT.>> WE HAVE PEOPLE DYING ON THESTREETS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THATRIGHT NOW THE CRIME ANDPUNISHMENT SYSTEM IS NOTWORKING.TODD: DAN HILS POINTS TO THISINCIDENT IN MARCH.WATCH AS POLICE BODY CAMERASCAPTURE DAMION MCRAE SHOOTINGCINCINNATI POLICE OFFICERKENNETH GRUBBS OUTSIDE ANAPARTMENT IN WALNUT HILLS.THIS BY PLEADING GUILTY TO THREECOUNTS OF DRUG TRAFFICKING,INCLUDING HANDLING, HE WAS BACKON THE STREETS CREATED -- ON THESTREETS.HE FACED FOUR YEARS IN PRISON,BUT ONCE AGAIN THE NON-VIOLENT,LOW LEVEL FELONIES MEANT MCRAERECEIVED COMMUNITY CONTROL.>> IF WE'VE GOT EXAMPLES OFTHESE PEOPLE COMING IN TO THESYSTEM AND MOVING OUT AND BEINGBACK ON THE STREETS, SELLINGTHIS POISON TO ANYBODY,INCLUDING OUR CHILDREN, IT'S GOTTO CHANGE.WE WILL CHANGE IT, BELIEVE ME.TODD: WE'LL BE WATCHING TO SEEIF THE GOVERNOR AND THELEGISLATURE DO TAKE STEPS TOENHANCE PENALTIES FOR DRUGDEALERS.AS FOR HOW BIG THIS PROBLEM IS,MORE THAN A MONTH AGO I ASKEDHAMILTON COUNTY FOR RECORDSSHOWING HOW MANY DRUGTRAFFICKERS ARE SENTENCED TOCOMMUNITY CONTROL.BUT NO ONE TRACKS THAT DATACURRENTLY AND I'M TOLD MYREQUEST IS STILL WEEKS FROMCOMPLETION.