THIS DRUG PROGRAM RATES WATCHING

A year ago California began a noble experiment. In a statewide referendum,
voters decided they were willing to make the criminal justice system the
primary source of drug treatment to the tune of $120 million a year.
Proposition 36, which was approved by 61 percent of voters, requires
treatment instead of jail time for most first- and second-time drug offenders.

The other day the Los Angeles Times reported that after one year, thousands
of people have been routed into drug treatment and California's state
prison population has declined by 3,272, which was one of the goals of Prop
36. On the downside, one-third of those sentenced to treatment either
failed to show up or dropped out of their programs during the first six
months the law was in effect.

Florida activists here have tried to get a ``Right to Treatment and
Rehabilitation for Nonviolent Drug Offenders'' citizen initiative added to
the state constitution. It would force judges to grant treatment or
rehabilitation to those charged with simple possession of drugs or drug
paraphernalia - if they want it.

In May the state Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that such a proposal can be
decided by voters. The Campaign for New Drug Policies, however, failed to
get the proposed amendment on the 2002 ballot and will instead set its goal
for 2004.

Floridians should monitor California's experiment over the next two years,
not just for the results, but for the costs as well. That way they will be
better informed when asked to support such an initiative here.