LAWMAKERS ARE MISGUIDED ON CORRECTIONAL-SYSTEM CUTS

The Florida Legislature would rather look tough on crime than actually
be tough.

That's the irrefutable message that shows up in both House and Senate
budget proposals, which dramatically undermine the Department of
Corrections and along with it public defenders, sheriffs and local
corrections systems.

By contrast, the budget of Gov. Charlie Crist, a former attorney
general and lawmaker known at onetime as "Chain Gang Charlie," is
supportive of the DOC's current allocation of its budget to a mix of
substance abuse rehabilitation and education programs and
old-fashioned incarceration. He finds revenues in rainy-day funds that
can be tapped for essential and wise approaches to public safety.

For example, substance abuse treatment a=80" such as that conducted here
in Leon County at the 70-bed residential treatment program on
Springhill Road for adults and at Disc Village for juveniles, in our
Teen Court and myriad programs statewide a=80" is well documented as a
means of reducing recidivism. In turn public safety is enhanced when
crimes related to substance abuse are diminished.

Yet the House on Wednesday cut the DOC's entire $31 million for
substance abuse programs inside prisons and in community partnerships.
It also, absurdly, eliminates state money to operate federally
mandated programs.

This is an interesting rebellion against a federal mandate, given that
the House's budget would cut 607 community corrections officers and
132 employees in local community corrections administrations. These
costs would a=80" what else? a=80" be handed down as another unfunded
mandate to local governments.

When the DOC was asked to cut $214.7 million a=80" or 10 percent a=80"
from its total budget, it was locked into 93 percent of the budget
necessary for housing and feeding inmates. What was left is the
treatment and education and staffing of local corrections programs a=80"
things apparently deemed nonessential by House members.

The Senate budget isn't much more reassuring. Senators are agreeing
with Mr. Crist in holding harmless the substance abuse education and
treatment efforts that have been strongly endorsed by not only DOC
Secretary Walt McNeil but also Children and Families Secretary Bob
Butterworth and former drug czar and DOC head Jim McDonough.

Yet the Senate is recommending cutting 1,390 prison guards, 682
community corrections officers and 128 administrators statewide,
positions local governments will have to take up in part or do
without. This loss of jobs is bad for the work force of prison
communities, but also puts at risk the corrections officers remaining
on the job, but not in inadequate numbers.

Leon County Public Defender Nancy Daniels is especially dismayed by
the possible loss of the Teen Court, which has been a shining star in
getting kids out of harm's way when it comes to illegal substances.
"For every $1 in treatment of substance abuse we save $10," Ms.
Daniels said, speaking of crime and its associated costs and losses.

Given that 20 percent of inmates in state prisons are there for
drug-related crimes and up to two-thirds committed crimes to support
their drug habit or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it
is folly to not invest in substance abuse treatment for inmates and
people on probation and, especially, young people.

Lawmakers, your addiction to reckless cost-cutting of even the most
sensible cost-saving programs is taking our state down a path of no
return.