DRUG TREATMENT PROPOSAL GOES TO HIGH COURT FOR REVIEW

Tallahassee, Fla. -(AP)- A petition drive to make judges send drug offenders
into treatment rather than jail was sent to the state Supreme Court Friday.

The proposal for the constitutional amendment is called "Right to Treatment
and Rehabilitiation for Nonviolent Drug Offenders."

Its sponsors must collect more than half a million signatures and show the
state Supreme Court that the measure deals with only one subject and is
fairly summarized on the ballot.

The high court reviews citizen initiatives that have collected 10 percent of
the total number of signatures needed. The drug proposal has hit that
threshold and the measure was sent Friday to the Supreme Court.

Under the constitutional amendment, only first and second-time drug
offenders would be eligible for treatment.

People accused of selling drugs and offenders facing accompanying charges of
theft or violent crimes, drunken driving or other serious crimes would be
barred from the treatment alternative.

A California group supported by billionaire financier George Soros is trying
get the constitutional amendment on Florida's 2002 ballot. The Florida
organization is called the "Florida Campaign for New Drug Policies."

The idea is modeled after California's Proposition 36, approved by voters
last year.