Pubdate: Wed, 03 Mar 2004
Source: Daily News (KY)
Copyright: 2004 News Publishing LLC
Contact:  http://www.bgdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1218
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

RECOVERY HOUSE REGULATION IS KEY TO PROGRAM

The recent decision to stop sending drug and alcohol offenders to several
local recovery houses was the right thing to do. This action was taken by
Warren County Circuit Judges Steve Wilson and John Grise because concern
arose from local law enforcers and prosecutors about a lack of regulation.

Those houses that are not licensed and certified can still apply for a
license, and some intend to do so. There is currently no city or state
ordinance that requires a halfway house to be licensed.

If they do, hopefully it will be with better regulation and supervision.
While the original concept - started here in the 1990s by retired Warren
County Circuit Judge Tom Lewis, to offer an alternative to jail for
first-time offenders with alcohol or drug charges - has merit, problems were
evident in some of the operations.

Of the 12 recovery houses in Warren County, at least three were owned or
operated by convicted felons.

The idea is that these homes are for addicts to get off drugs in a
structured environment and there isn't any need for convicted felons to be
running them.

There were at least 13 drug-related incidents at various local recovery
homes over the last two years, with at least four arrests, according to city
police.

Drug addicts certainly don't need to be in houses where drugs could be
obtained. Some of these houses were part of the problem, not part of the
solution.

"It's one thing for you to have the disease - it is another thing to spread
the disease," Wilson said. "It's like putting the fox in the henhouse."

Wilson is correct and he and Grise should be commended for taking action to
fix the problem.

These homes can be effective if they are run efficiently and with the kind
of oversight that has been lacking in the past.

Judges who send drug offenders to these houses need to know that they are
recovering and not just getting a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Properly run recovery houses offer an alternative to warehousing all
offenders in already overcrowded prisons and can help those who are really
motivated to recover.

Warren County deserves no less.
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