Pubdate: Thu, 05 Jul 2001
Source: Palm Beach Post (FL)
Copyright: 2001 The Palm Beach Post
Contact:  http://www.gopbi.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/333
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

VERDICT FOR TREATMENT

Treating -- rather than jailing -- nonviolent drug offenders always has 
made sense, but the philosophy finally is moving from concept to trend. 
California began an ambitious program Sunday. Last week, Attorney General 
John Ashcroft said Palm Beach County will receive $500,000 for an adult 
drug court.

"Research shows that drug courts are working to keep nonviolent, 
substance-abusing offenders from cycling through our courts and tying up 
prison space needed for violent criminals," Mr. Ashcroft said. He's right. 
When Arizona passed Proposition 200 four years ago, the approach seemed a 
radical departure for a conservative Republican state. Then-drug czar Barry 
McCaffrey opposed the measure, fearing it would "lead to legalization of 
drugs."

Today, however, the law is accepted because it is successful, funneling 
6,000 new drug felons a year into treatment rather than jail. A 1999 study 
concluded that the law had saved $2.5 million in prison costs and that 77 
percent of offenders who underwent treatment stayed off drugs in the year 
following their arrest.

Last year, California voters passed Proposition 36, which requires 
treatment rather than jail for the estimated 36,000 nonviolent drug users 
convicted each year in the state. Officials call it the nation's biggest 
experiment in drug rehabilitation. Each of California's 58 counties has its 
own plan, and though the budget is $120 million, some counties are 
concerned that they may be overwhelmed. In Los Angeles County, officials 
expect to handle 17,000 cases and worry that their $30 million will be 
inadequate. Over time, though, treatment should save money by reducing the 
need for prisons, especially considering that California has incarcerated 
more drug offenders than any other state.

In Palm Beach County, and most other parts of the country, drug courts are 
just one part of a good diversion program. Treatment is key. If sufficient 
counseling and residential treatment beds aren't available, any program can 
get bogged down. Increasingly, however, research is showing that investing 
in treatment pays off. It is more likely to be a long-term answer while the 
jail cell is a short-term -- and often-repeated -- solution. By getting to 
the root of the problem, it offers hope and improves lives while saving 
taxpayers money.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager