Pubdate: Thu, 28 Jun 2001
Source: San Bernardino Sun (CA)
Copyright: 2001 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.mapinc.org/media/1417
Website: http://www.sbcsun.com/
Note: Letters of 200 words or less are preferred
Author: Chris Nguyen, Felisa Cardona
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prop36.htm 
(Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act)

LOCAL DRUG PLANS SCORED

In a blistering report on the county's plan to implement Proposition 36,
a national drug policy foundation on Wednesday said the county is
bolstering the criminal justice system instead of emphasizing drug
treatment.

The Lindesmith Center, which backed the measure that mandates treatment
over incarceration as an alternative to the nation's war on drugs, gave
San Bernardino County its lowest grade: F.

The New York-based center criticized the county's budget for drug
treatment, its lack of treatment services and its failure to have
meetings to garner public reaction.

"San Bernardino County has ignored the will of the voters," the report
said. "It has an implementation plan that is likely to fail."

Founded by billionaire financier George Soros, a major sponsor of
theProposition 36 initiative, the Lindesmith Center evaluated plans
submitted byCalifornia's 11 largest counties to the state Department of
Alcohol and Drug Programs.

County officials on Wednesday defended their preparation to implement
Proposition 36, which takes effect Sunday.

The center's findings angered Bob Hillis, deputy director of the county
Office of Alcohol and Drug Programs.

"I really think it's done our county a disservice," he said. "I don't
think Lindesmith has a clue what's happened here in this county."

The county proposal calls for a probation officer to be the first to
evaluate drug offenders after they are sentenced by a judge. That goes
against the goal of Proposition 36, said Whitney Taylor, the Lindesmith
Center's statewide implementation director.

"That's like going to a lawyer if your kidney hurts," she said.

Probation is part of drug treatment, said Dave Oberhelman, director of
adult services for the county Probation Department.

"We are not something outside of that treatment circle," he said. "It's
unfair to give us an F. We're one of the pioneers of drug court
programs."

Taylor said the county could have quality programs but the plan she
reviewed was vague, confusing and poorly written. She said it didn't
mention detoxification services, although it "kind of alluded to it."

"They mentioned intervention," Taylor said, "but it was too vague."

Hillis said the plan was intentionally written that way, in a general
nature so the county would have more control of and flexibility in
dealing with cases, and not be "pinned down by the state."

San Bernardino County received the lowest rating among the 11 counties
evaluated by Lindesmith. Riverside County received an overall grade of
C, while San Francisco earned an A, the highest.

Lindesmith's criticism isn't the first directed at the San Bernardino
County program.

San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Patrick Morris, who declined to
comment on the center's report Wednesday, complained at a May 22 meeting
of the county Board of Supervisors that the plan wouldn't be effective
in treating drug offenders.

He cited reasons such as a lack of both training for judges and an
emphasis on treatment.

"I'm concerned about what our plan does not say," Morris told the board
last month. "It fails to specify how we're going to treat this
population."

Assistant District Attorney Jim Hackleman said the county will be
successful, despite the center's findings.

"With no disrespect to the Lindesmith Center, I would far rather be
judged on what we do and what we accomplish locally," he said. "If this
was simply a sham and we weren't providing treatment, this would be a
great waste of time for everyone."

Hackleman said the District Attorney's Office isn't going to change its
guidelines on how drug offenders will be charged, an area of which
Lindesmith was particularly critical.

San Bernardino County Assistant Presiding Judge J. Michael Welch said
the Lindesmith Center's report card is unfair in comparing San
Bernardino and San Francisco counties because the two are so different.

San Francisco is "a city and county where the infrastructure is already
there to provide treatment," he said. "Everything is in a central
location, and they have probation officers. They got an A because they
can afford to take 90 percent of their money and put it into treatment.
San Bernardino (County) can't do that."

Interim County Administrator John Michaelson said the center's report
incorrectly lists a $5.4million budget for Proposition 36 implementation
here. He said the county's budget for all services is $11.4 million.

Michaelson, however, said the county should have started to prepare for
Proposition 36 earlier but was sidetracked by other matters, including
corruption scandals.
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