Pubdate: Thu, 13 Mar 2008
Source: Daily Progress, The (VA)
Copyright: 2008 Media General Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.dailyprogress.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1545
Author: Bob Gibson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

$6 MILLION SLATED FOR DRUG COURTS

The final sticking points in a $77 billion, two-year  spending deal 
ironed out between the House and Senate  on Wednesday included a $6 
million drug court budget  item, which was kept, and a new $2 million 
program to  help inmates re-enter society, which largely was  jettisoned.

House budget negotiators for days told their Senate  counterparts 
that the senators could keep drug court  spending or the re-entry 
funding, but not both, said  sources in the negotiations.

Finally, the House and Senate agreed to keep the drug  courts and 
scale back the inmate re-entry offering,  said Sen. Walter A. Stosch, 
R-Henrico County and one of  the six Senate budget negotiators.

"There was a great deal of debate" about the drug  courts, Stosch 
said. "From the Senate's point of view,  they by and large do make a 
significant contribution."

Stosch said the senators insisted the drug courts work  and while 
both drug courts and helping inmates re-enter  society are good 
programs, the 14 drug courts that will  continue to receive state 
funds are part of an existing  program with a track record, while 
re-entry is a new program.

"We decided to add five new probation officers to the  Department of 
Corrections" at a cost of about $300,000  to help establish the 
re-entry program and will try to  come back in future budgets to fund 
it, Stosch said.

Meanwhile, a stalemate over the appointment of judges  continues and 
is holding up the possible elections of  as many as 30 or more judges 
by the legislature.

A handful of disputed judgeships and clashes between  some 
legislators over a few appointments have created a  roadblock 
stopping the legislature from filling many  judgeships the House and 
Senate had largely agreed  upon, Stosch said.

One of the seemingly resolved judicial selections being  held up is 
the election of Madison County lawyer Jack  Berry, who had been 
selected by lawmakers in both the  House and Senate for a circuit 
court judgeship open in  the rural counties of the 16th Circuit.

Stosch said that if judges are not elected by the  legislature by the 
time it reconvenes April 23, Gov.  Timothy M. Kaine, a Richmond 
Democrat, could make  appointments to fill the positions on a temporary  basis.

Charlottesville advocates of drug courts were happy  with the budget agreement.

Jeff Gould, drug court administrator in  Charlottesville, said he is 
"relieved and finally  breathing again. I am just absolutely 
delighted rational sense prevailed."

"It made no sense to do away with a proven program of  success," 
Gould said of the drug courts, which have  about 1,400 clients 
statewide and offer intensive  treatment with drug testing and 
sanctions for a year at  a cost of about $6,000 per person treated.

This month, 48 people are receiving treatment in the 
Charlottesville-Albemarle Drug Court, Gould said.

Drug court graduates have a 17.7 percent recidivism  rate the first 
year after graduating, compared with at  least 50 percent for 
addicted inmates who serve  sentences behind bars without the same 
treatment, he  said.

In addition to saving the drug courts, House and Senate  negotiators 
agreed on $1.5 million to fund Alicia's  Law, giving money to task 
forces in Northern Virginia  and Bedford County to investigate 
Internet sex crimes  against children.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom