STUDY - 25% OF THOSE WHO TRY DRUG TREATMENT FINISH PROGRAM

A quarter of those who choose drug treatment instead of jail under
voter-approved Proposition 36 complete the program, while 30 percent
never start, according to a new study that examined the controversial
law's second year on the books.

The University of California, Los Angeles, study has elicited claims
of success from the law's original supporters, who say Proposition 36
has exposed more than 30,000 people to drug treatment for the first
time, planting a seed for future recovery.

"Proposition 36 is a success both in human terms and public policy
terms," said Glenn Backes, national health policy director for Drug
Policy Alliance.

But critics say results are disappointing and argue that the law gives
the criminal justice system too little influence over offenders with a
wide array of criminal histories and rehabilitation needs.

The law designed to send nonviolent drug offenders to treatment
instead of jail went into effect in 2001 and is in its fourth year.
The study, required as part of the measure to track its effectiveness,
examined the results of the law's second year.

The study found that 50,335 offenders agreed to participate in drug
treatment from July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2003. Of those, seven out of
10 actually went into treatment, the study found.

About 24 percent of those who had agreed to enter treatment during the
program's first year - including those who did not actually enter
treatment - went on to complete treatment, the new study found. Of
those who actually entered treatment, the study found that about a
third completed it.

In Sacramento County, in the fiscal year ending in June 2003, about
1,500 people were sent to Proposition 36 drug treatment, according to
a county Alcohol and Drug Services Division study released in August.
Of those who had entered treatment, 9 percent graduated, which means
they completed treatment, began repaying fees, and secured housing and
employment. An additional 10 percent completed treatment.

Statewide, about half the participants entered drug treatment for the
first time, a figure proponents say proves that the program works for
criminals who otherwise might never have sought help for their addiction.

"Time and time again, I've seen people who really want to get off
drugs and do (when they go through the program)," said Sacramento
Superior Court Judge Gary Ransom. "Proposition 36 is long overdue and
it's highly successful as far as this court's concerned. It saves
people's lives."

Sacramento resident Mary Pruitt, a graduate of a Proposition 36 drug
treatment program, said Wednesday that she is one of the people who
might not have sought treatment on her own.

She was arrested in 2001 for possession of methamphetamine and opted
for drug treatment. Now, Pruitt said, she works in the drug treatment
field.

"I had no idea that treatment was out there for me and when I was
given the opportunity to go into treatment, it's the best thing that
ever happened to me," she said.

The study, meanwhile, also pointed to areas where efforts to carry out
Proposition 36 have fallen short. Specifically, the study found that
offenders with severe drug problems were too often placed in
outpatient programs and did not receive the level of treatment they
needed.

David LeBahn, director of the California District Attorneys
Association, said the law has not lived up to its promise of
rehabilitating low-level offenders.

"The idea of getting folks off the drugs is outstanding," he said.
"But that 25 or 35 percent are completing treatment is good news -
that's something we'd disagree with."

LeBahn said the law has taken discretion out of the hands of judges by
dictating who gets treatment. He said many people who are arrested
under the influence of drugs do not get treatment. And others who are
arrested on suspicion of having drugs for sale are sent to treatment.
The difference: More felons get treatment, he said.

"That's frustrating for (prosecutors) because people in courts see
someone needy who doesn't get services," he said. "Then a drug seller
is not a user but a felon - and gets the program."

Judge Darrell Stevens of Butte County, who helped design Proposition
36 programs statewide, credits them with exposing thousands of people
to drug treatment. But he said county drug courts - which treat fewer
people and have tougher sanctions - have much better results. He said
68 percent of people who entered treatment in Butte County completed
it, compared with 24 percent who completed Proposition 36 treatment in
Sacramento County.

"Prop. 36 is different because of the sheer numbers. And you have a
different animal," he said. "People in Prop. 36 perhaps have not made
a decision to go to recovery, but made more of a decision to accept
probation and hopefully avoid prison."