VERDICT FOR TREATMENT

Treating -- rather than jailing -- nonviolent drug offenders always has
made sense, but the philosophy finally is moving from concept to trend.
California began an ambitious program Sunday. Last week, Attorney General
John Ashcroft said Palm Beach County will receive $500,000 for an adult
drug court.

"Research shows that drug courts are working to keep nonviolent,
substance-abusing offenders from cycling through our courts and tying up
prison space needed for violent criminals," Mr. Ashcroft said. He's right.
When Arizona passed Proposition 200 four years ago, the approach seemed a
radical departure for a conservative Republican state. Then-drug czar Barry
McCaffrey opposed the measure, fearing it would "lead to legalization of
drugs."

Today, however, the law is accepted because it is successful, funneling
6,000 new drug felons a year into treatment rather than jail. A 1999 study
concluded that the law had saved $2.5 million in prison costs and that 77
percent of offenders who underwent treatment stayed off drugs in the year
following their arrest.

Last year, California voters passed Proposition 36, which requires
treatment rather than jail for the estimated 36,000 nonviolent drug users
convicted each year in the state. Officials call it the nation's biggest
experiment in drug rehabilitation. Each of California's 58 counties has its
own plan, and though the budget is $120 million, some counties are
concerned that they may be overwhelmed. In Los Angeles County, officials
expect to handle 17,000 cases and worry that their $30 million will be
inadequate. Over time, though, treatment should save money by reducing the
need for prisons, especially considering that California has incarcerated
more drug offenders than any other state.

In Palm Beach County, and most other parts of the country, drug courts are
just one part of a good diversion program. Treatment is key. If sufficient
counseling and residential treatment beds aren't available, any program can
get bogged down. Increasingly, however, research is showing that investing
in treatment pays off. It is more likely to be a long-term answer while the
jail cell is a short-term -- and often-repeated -- solution. By getting to
the root of the problem, it offers hope and improves lives while saving
taxpayers money.