WAR ON DRUGS REQUIRES BRAINS, NOT BRAWN

For years, lawmakers have taken credit for getting "tough on crime."
Hasn't the time come for us to get smart on crime, too?

Census data released earlier this week shows that Washington's prison
population doubled over the last decade, with black men and women
serving time at alarmingly high rates. While black men account for a
mere 3 percent of the state's male population, they represent 18
percent of the male population behind bars.

Experts say the state's drug laws account for this disparity. Although
white men use illegal drugs at about the same rate as their African-
American counterparts, black men are five times more likely to be
arrested for a drug offense.

Once in jail, they fall into a cycle of drugs, crime and violence. In
many neighborhoods, this cycle of crime and addiction has spun out of
control, splintering families and leaving a wake of destruction in its
path. Children with drug-addicted fathers serving time are more likely
to become addicts and criminals themselves. The cycle rages on.

What we're left with is a system increasingly inhabited by low-income
drug-addicts, as violent criminals continue to roam our neighborhoods.
But we can have safer neighborhoods and save taxpayers millions, by
focusing on drug prevention. Common-sense proposals that get smart on
crime will reduce drug abuse, property crime, and violence.

One of the best investments we could make is to expand the state's
drug courts, putting one in every county. King County has had a drug
court since 1994. It was the twelfth in the nation and is currently a
mentor site to over 450 drug courts operating throughout the country.

Here's how it works: eligible defendants choose to participate in the
program in lieu of traditional court processing. Once in the program,
they attend court-supervised treatment sessions, undergo random drug
tests, and regularly appear before a court judge.

The results have been outstanding. Only 9 percent of drug court
graduates commit a felony in the months after graduation. Compare this
to 22 percent for drug court drop-outs and 33 percent for people who
choose not to participate.

What's more, every dollar spent on drug treatment saves taxpayers $2
to $7. The average cost of drug court treatment ran between $1,200 and
$3,000. Savings in jail bed days alone have been estimated to be at
least $5,000 per defendant.

Simply put, drug courts save money and break the cycle of crime and
addiction clogging our state's prisons.

By acting now, we can save another generation from experiencing the
indignity of addiction, the trauma of violent crime, and the expense
of a failed war on drugs. Over the next 20 years, the state's teen
population is expected to grow by more than one-third. But we can
prevent the cycle from finding a new foothold.

It's time to get smart on crime.