Pubdate: Mon, 20 Oct 2014
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.utsandiego.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
Note: Seldom prints LTEs from outside it's circulation area.
Author: Raymond Rivera

PROP. 47 WILL SPEND WHERE WE NEED IT MOST

Regarding "Prop. 47: Right, right, right - wrong" (Oct. 16): I am a 
certified chemical dependency counselor working with this population 
for more than 20 years. Here's the truth: Treatment is more 
cost-effective than prison.

Prop 47 will change sentences for only the lowest-level drug and 
property offenses. In the first five years $1 billion would go to 
K-12 education, mental health, drug treatment and services for crime victims.

We've been locking people up with a chemical dependency problem and 
it's costing us $60,000 a year per person. We could instead spend 
that on teachers, counselors and even police officers and save.

Raymond Rivera

San Diego
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom