PROSECUTOR SAYS DRUG OFFENDERS NEED TREATMENT, NOT MORE JAIL TIME

King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng has joined a growing number of legal and
medical professionals, legislators and civil rights activists in declaring
the war on drugs a failure. He says it should be replaced with a new
emphasis on treatment instead of incarceration.

In a written statement, Maleng yesterday announced his intention to ask the
state Legislature next week to consider at least two bills aimed at
lowering prison sentences for some drug offenses, and redirecting the money
saved on housing drug offenders to drug treatment programs.

On Monday, Maleng plans to speak in Olympia before the House Criminal
Justice and Corrections Committee, and then on Thursday before the Senate
Judiciary Committee in support of House Bill 2338 and Senate Bill 6361.

Much like measures that failed in the Legislature last year, the bills aim
at reducing prison sentences for drug offenders and using the money saved
to develop a new treatment-based approach to the problem.

The bills call for a reduction in the seriousness of drug offenses and an
end to so-called "triple scoring," which nearly doubles a defendant's
prison term for each prior drug offense. The seriousness reduction would
mean felony narcotics prison sentences would be reduced from a base range
of 21-27 months to 15-20 months.

The idea was boosted last month when the King County Bar Association
released a drug study report by a task force of attorneys, health care and
pharmacy professionals from King County and across the state.

All agreed that putting drug offenders behind bars costs more money and is
less effective than devoting funds and resources to innovative treatment
programs. The report included a list of recommendations for easing criminal
penalties and ensuring that the money saved will help people get off drugs.

According to the report, more than 20 percent of some 15,000 people in
Washington's state prisons currently are serving time for drug crimes. The
state pays about $20,000 per year to house a single adult prisoner.
Juveniles cost more than twice that amount.

At a King County Bar Association panel discussion last month, Maleng said
he supports the basic notion that more money and effort should be diverted
to treatment and away from incarceration for some non-violent drug offenders.

"I don't agree with all the conclusions that the King County Bar
Association made in its report, but the biggest decision they made was to
move the debate ahead," Maleng said. "We're dealing with something that
really hurts a lot of people."

Police, however, aren't as eager to free people convicted of drug crimes.
Bellevue police Chief Jim Montgomery yesterday said he hopes the effort to
redirect the approach to fighting drugs doesn't go too far.

"Using, possessing or manufacturing illegal drugs is a crime," Montgomery
said. "There should be a penalty attached to any crime committed by any
individual. While rehabilitation has its merits, it should not be the only
repercussion for those who commit this crime."