FIXING THE WAR ON DRUGS

As the Colorado General Assembly races toward adjournment next
Wednesday, one important item still remains on its agenda: Senate Bill
318. The measure, by Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, and Rep. Lynn Hefley,
R-Colorado Springs, is a first step toward a more intelligent and
effective approach to the "war on drugs" in Colorado.

About 20 percent of the 19,000 prisoners now behind bars in Colorado
are incarcerated for offenses related to drugs, according to Gordon.
More important, 75 percent of inmates in Colorado's prisons have a
substance-abuse problem that has almost certainly contributed to their
committing more serious crimes - but only half of those receive any
type of therapy. All too often, Colorado simply locks up drug
offenders without trying to treat underlying drug- and alcohol-abuse
problems. The result is that the gates to Colorado prisons resemble
revolving doors as untreated drug offenders serve their time, shuffle
out into society, re-offend, and return to durance vile.

Gordon and Hefley sought to break that cycle of failure last year with
SB 39, a bill that passed the House 61-1 and the Senate 28-7. The
measure would have reduced sentences for possession of less than a
gram of certain drugs and used the $2.2 million those reductions would
have saved for additional drug-treatment programs.

Unfortunately, Gov. Bill Owens vetoed SB 39, despite its overwhelming
bipartisan backing, saying he was opposed to shortening sentences for
drug offenses.

That was then. This is now. And now happens to find Colorado in the
middle of a a severe budget crunch. Despite the competing pressures
for scarce public dollars, Owens sought permission to issue $305
million in "certificates of participation" - bonds in all but name -
to build classrooms for the new University of Colorado medical center
in Aurora and a new maximum-security state prison in Canon City.

In response, many legislators joined Gordon in questioning the need
for yet another prison until and unless Colorado begins to make more
rational use of its existing correctional facilities.

Owens, in turn, allowed that his veto might have been a bit hasty and
said he would look favorably on a new attempt by Hefley and Gordon to
address the drug treatment problem.

We're not suggesting that Sen. Gordon and Gov. Owens struck any kind
of deal. It would be wrong to make such a "suggestion." It would be
right to categorically state that such a deal was indeed cut and in
our view it is manifestly in the best interests of the people of
Colorado to ensure that it is kept.

Following that handshake, SB 318, which has already passed the Senate,
came out of the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Hefley yesterday.
It is scheduled for discussion in the full House today.

The earliest the measure could win final House approval is Monday,
which leaves just two days to resolve any differences between the
House and Senate before adjournment. But with Gordon's solid
stewardship in the Senate, Hefley's stalwart advocacy in the House and
the benign interest of House Speaker Lola Spradley watching over this
vital bill, we're daring to hope Colorado will at last begin to treat
the substance- abuse problems that clog its prisons with the
seriousness they deserve.

We're also encouraged that efforts by Denver District Attorney Bill
Ritter and other law enforcement leaders to restore the critical
juvenile diversion programs may yet bear fruit. Ritter has proposed
various shifts to free $700,000 for such projects, which were funded
at $2.5 million in the 2001-02 fiscal year.

Using this pittance to save good kids who make one bad mistake is the
wisest possible use of public dollars.