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
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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.
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