IT'S TIME TO PROVIDE HELP FOR DRUG OFFENDERS

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne says he's dedicated to providing more substance abuse
treatment beds for the men and women behind bars in Idaho.

He's taken the first step by signing an appropriations bill that will
increase prison treatment resources. We applaud him for having the
foresight to recognize one critical problem that most exacerbates another:
an overcrowded prison system.

The attitude of "lock 'em up and throw away the keys" seems to be losing
steam, as well it should. Providing inmates with only basic bed-and-board
necessities just isn't enough anymore, at least not in the long term.

Wonder just how much substance abuse contributes to putting people behind
bars? The numbers say it all, says State Rep. Donna Boe, D-Pocatello: about
80 percent of the men and women in Idaho prisons are there because of
committing some crime related to their drug and alcohol abuse.

Boe, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee which oversees the prisons
and courts, has some other sobering statistics. She says 75 percent of
women behind bars have dependent children and 73 percent are victims of
sexual or physical abuse.

That's why she says it is critical that women who need substance abuse
treatment get it while they are in prison, so they have the ability to care
for their children and begin new lives without drugs. Otherwise, she says,
the revolving-door cycle of going in and out of prison continues.

"If we can get these mothers with young children free of their addiction,
that's one step to them becoming a parent who can raise a child who doesn't
also end up in the criminal justice system," Boe says.

With more state dollars, the local state women's prison should have 400
treatment beds by early summer after a major expansion is completed.
Currently, the prison has only 60 treatment beds.

Boe says judges, substance abuse counselors and concerned lawmakers on both
sides of the political aisle came together to convince the governor of the
need for more treatment programs in prisons and for intervention programs
like drug courts.

The governor paid attention and plans to be in Pocatello today to sign the
bill that appropriates the needed funds for the local prison.

We're glad he listened.