DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM LOWERS JAIL POPULATION

Taxpayers are saving hundreds of millions of dollars because of Prop.
36's success, study says.

The state's 6-year-old program that mandates treatment instead of
prison sentences for drug offenders is dramatically decreasing
California's jail population and saving taxpayers hundreds of
millions of dollars, according to a study released Wednesday.

The study, prepared by the left-leaning Justice Policy Institute in
Washington, echoes another report released by UCLA earlier this month
that also touted huge taxpayer savings through doing away with prison
sentences in favor of treatment. That report said the program, which
was passed by voters in 2000 as Proposition 36, saved California $173
million in its first year and $2.50 for every dollar invested since then.

The report by the Justice Policy Institute, which seeks alternatives
to incarceration, said the rate of imprisonment for drug possession
offenses has decreased by more than 34%. It also said that dire
predictions of a rise in violent crime with the passage of
Proposition 36 were unfounded.

"It really helps to put a context to the debate," said Jason
Ziedenberg, the executive director of the Justice Policy Institute.
"I think people need to understand how many people were in prison in
2000 as opposed to how many there are today and that there has been progress."

The release of the two reports comes at a critical juncture for
supporters who contend that the $120 million earmarked for
Proposition 36 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when funding runs out
this summer is not adequate.

They contend that, because of inflation and an increase in costs for
services, the money does not stretch far enough.

"It really needs to be at $209 million just to be bare-bones
adequate," said Margaret Dooley, statewide coordinator with the Drug
Policy Alliance, which is seeking an increase in funding for the
program. She said she and others would descend on the capital later
this month to drum up support for the additional funding, which she
believed would be forthcoming because lawmakers would be unable to
point to a downside.

She also said she was confident of support from the more than 60,000
people arrested but kept out of prisons and jails because of Proposition 36.

Scott Ehlers, a coauthor of the Justice Policy Institute report, said
he and others believe that the next goal should be to expand the
reach of Proposition 36 to include those arrested for nonviolent
crimes related to drug abuse -- such as theft to purchase drugs.

He also said he did not anticipate any calls for major trims in the program.

"I don't see anyone calling for a rollback by any means because I
think the treatment is more cost-effective than sending people to
prison," he said.

Among other findings of the report are that spending on drug
treatment in the state since 2000 has doubled, and that there has
been a larger increase in drug treatment clients here than in the
rest of the country. Also, the California prison population of drug
offenders has been reduced from 27% to 21%, close to the national average.

Ziedenberg said the reason the Justice Policy Institute focused on
California -- as it does in many of its studies -- is that "12% of
the prison population is locked up there."

He also said lawmakers will have to face the question whether they
want to pay now for expanded drug treatment or later for additional
prison facilities to handle the overrun.

"The main thing is for more money to be put in," he said. "The thing
we hear from people in California is that this is a good start."