Pubdate: Sun, 21 Jun 2009
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2009 The Calgary Sun
Contact:  http://www.calgarysun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67
Author: Michael Platt
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

PROVINCE'S FINE PRINT CUTS DRUG COURT'S PROPOSED FUNDING BY $500,000

To have seen the looks of relief over such a relative pittance of 
cash -- if anything, it makes the case of the vanishing $500,000 even 
more pitiful.

There was the drug court judge, grinning at the news, while the 
court's handful of staff shared handshakes and hugs.

A quartet of former addicts were all smiles after learning the 
program that saved them from jail would continue, helping others 
escape the cycle of addiction and crime.

The province's promise, as made by Calgary MLA Jonathan Denis at the 
court's anniversary luncheon late last month, was for $800,000 in 
drug-court funding.

Not quite a million dollars, it was more than enough money to keep 
the court open for at least three years.

The court might even expand, said Judge Jim Ogle, after hearing the news.

No more begging, borrowing and scraping the barrel -- the cash 
surprise turned the court's two-year anniversary lunch into a real 
celebration, the $800,000 reported by every news outlet in Calgary.

But where the province giveth, the province taketh away.

As it turns out, the $800,000 promised by Denis was really $300,000, 
inflated to include "in-kind" services like the judge's salary, 
courtroom costs and so on. Whether soap for the public washrooms was 
on the bill, isn't clear.

Every other in-kind item was certainly crammed in, to the tune of 
half-a-million now-you-see-it, now-you-don't dollars.

"It is a combination of grants and in-kind contributions -- including 
usage of staff, the facility, equipment, that kind of stuff," 
explained Alberta Justice spokesman Jay O'Neill.

The original announcement, made on behalf of Justice Minister Alison 
Redford, certainly didn't sound like it came with an asterisk 
attached, when it was rolled out in front of television cameras.

If anyone explained the $800,000 was really $300,000, no one heard.

The press was fooled, and so were the folks running the drug court -- 
they shared the same figure at a meeting with city council a few days 
later, before discovering the real number was $300,000. Oops.

Still, the province says there was no attempt to deceive the drug court.

"I think what happened, they heard the number and it kind of jumped 
out, and they didn't take into account the other support they were 
getting," said O'Neill.

Of course, no one bothered to explain the fine print until weeks later.

Sorry guys -- that $800,000 cheque you're expecting? You might want 
to change that eight to a three.

"It was good to see money was given, but it's disappointing the 
amount isn't exactly what we heard," said Rob Laird, of the Calgary 
Dream Centre, one of the key figures in establishing the drug court 
two years ago.

Like others connected to the court, Laird takes a diplomatic, stoic stance.

Off record, the real emotion shows: "A half-million dollars is one 
hell of a fudge," says another upset source, also connected to the court.

That a lousy $500,000 could mean so much to the people running the 
drug treatment court speaks to the meagre budget of the piecemeal 
project, designed to keep non-violent addicts out of jail.

For $250,000 a year, Calgary taxpayers have funded the recovery of 11 
criminal addicts so far, with a 100% success rate -- no needles, no 
pipes, and nothing stolen or robbed.

Calgarians, unlike the citizens of Edmonton, Regina, Ottawa, Toronto 
and Vancouver, have paid for their own drug court, going without 
federal or provincial cash.

Edmonton, as part of the official drug-court circuit, gets nearly 
$600,000 in federal funding, matched by the province, in kind.

When Calgary was denied an official drug court, our city council, 
spearheaded by Ald. Druh Farrell, opted to pay for its own program.

It was hoped two years of success would be enough to convince the 
provincial and federal governments that Calgary's court is worth funding.

While the feds aren't expected to review that funding until next 
year, the province's $800,000 looked like an unexpected answer to 
Calgary's prayers.

Not that the remaining $300,000 won't be appreciated.

It's a drop in the bucket, but when the bucket is empty, no one can 
afford to complain.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom