Pubdate: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 Source: Oakland Tribune (CA) Copyright: 2000 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers Contact: 66 Jack London Sq., Oakland, CA 94607 Feedback: http://www.newschoice.com/asp-bin/feedback.asp?PUID486 Website: http://www.newschoice.com/newspapers/alameda/tribune/ Author: Josh Richman, Staff Writer WINDFALL PROPOSED FOR DRUG PROGRAM DAVIS TO GIVE MILLIONS TO SPECIAL COURT Gov. Gray Davis has proposed more than doubling the money in next year's budget for California's drug court programs, and Bay Area drug court officials say that money could help free a lot of people from addiction. Drug courts unite courts, probation offices, alcohol and drug treatment programs and other social services to provide treatment and rehabilitation - -- rather than just imprisonment -- to nonviolent drug offenders. The program provides needs assessments, counseling, case management, random drug tests and other recovery services in order to halt the "revolving door" in which so many drug offenders find themselves. There are 65 drug courts in 38 counties including Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo. Another 15 new courts are being planned. Davis announced earlier this week he wants to add $10 million to the 2000-2001 budgets of the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and the Judicial Council; $8 million already was earmarked for drug courts, and the state expects to receive another $3 million from the federal government. "I definitely think it's an appropriate expenditure of money," Alameda County Superior Court Judge Richard Iglehart, who presides over one of the county's four drug courts. "I think it's very cost effective. The evidence seems to be pretty clear that as you get a growing number of people who have drug cases and are drug dependent, we really need to have a full-court press, we need to quadruple our efforts regarding them." Alameda County's drug courts carry a heavy workload, he said -- he sees 100 to 150 people each day in his courtroom. It's always a struggle to find enough money to provide the services all these people need. "Frankly, with more money we'd be able to reserve more bed spaces and get more people into programs," he said. "The closer we can come to treatment-on-demand, the better." Iglehart said running a drug court "clearly takes a whole lot more effort than what we're used to in other areas of the criminal justice system. "It is very time-intensive for all the court personnel -- the probation officers, the district attorneys, the public defenders -- but it's worth it because in the end, when you move people toward less and less drug use and then to abstention, those are success stories." The success stories happen regularly and are inspiring, Iglehart said: "They get out of the hole that they're in with drugs, and you can see the difference physically in them. You can see the difference in terms of attitude, and you can see the difference in terms of spirit." Debbie Keller, manager of the San Mateo County Drug Court Program, couldn't be reached for comment. Davis also proposed adding another $5 million to the state Justice Department's budget for the Statewide Integrated Narcotics System (SINS), a computer system designed to help police throughout the state share information to coordinate and concentrate their anti-drug efforts. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D