PRISONS MUST ALTER DRUG PLAN

The Women's Program Is Ruled Inferior To The Drug Treatment Plan For Men

A state court judge has ordered Alabama prison officials within 30 days to
begin a drug treatment program for female inmates that's equal to one for
men in prison.

Baldwin County Circuit Judge Robert Wilters at a probation revocation
hearing for Collene Dyas of Mobile denied a request to place her in a
private treatment program as part of a cocaine sentence.

But Wilters ordered that female inmates be given access to the same drug
rehabilitation programs in prison that men use.

The state runs an in-depth, 12-month substance abuse program called
Therapeutic Community at some of its prisons. It offers recovery and
counseling help as well as instruction in life skills and anger management.

Although the state does not offer the Therapeutic Community program at its
prison for women in Wetumpka, Department of Corrections spokesman Brian C.
Corbett said it does run several other drug and alcohol abuse initiatives
at the women's prison, including a federally funded program that is nearly
identical except half as long.

"You can't offer every program at every prison in the state, simply because
of the funding and staffing levels," he told the Mobile Register for a
story Friday. "It's a lot easier said than done to say in 30 days you have
to have a program up and running for women."

Corrections officials had not reached a decision Friday on whether to
appeal Wilters' order.

Dyas' attorney, John Beck, said he intends to ask Wilters in a month to put
Dyas back on probation if the state has not complied with his order. "I was
disappointed that he revoked her but delighted that he was sensitive to the
needs of female inmates," Beck said. "They should certainly comply with it.
They should move heaven and earth to comply with it because it's only fair."