What can we learn from one man's experience with SODA?

The Seattle City Council is preparing to take a final vote today on a pair of new laws that city attorney Ann Davison and some city council members say could help the city fight drug trafficking and prostitution. The SODA ordinance –  stands for “Stay Out of Drug Areas.” It would create a new gross misdemeanor, punishable up to 364 days in jail, and a $5,000 fine, for being caught inside a designated SODA zone – if you’re subject to a judge’s order to stay out.  Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks to one man who was subject to a similar policy – in his case, a King County judge issued a several-block “Stay Out of Drug Area” order after he was arrested in 2015.  Guests: Joe Conniff, REACH Reentry Program Supervisor at Evergreen Support Services. Conniff is also the author of Causes and Conditions: A Life Experience in Addiction and Recovery. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.