HELP FOR REPEAT DRUG OFFENDERS

Addicts like Darryl Strawberry bounce through the court system every day
without raising concern over their treatment. What makes Strawberry's case
noteworthy is the message Hillsborough Circuit Judge Florence Foster is
being asked to send about criminalizing the use of drugs. The judge has two
issues before her; one warrants treatment, the other warrants prison.

Foster heard testimony last week on whether Strawberry should be sentenced
to prison for walking away from a court-ordered rehab program. Prosecutors
acknowledge that many addicts relapse. But Strawberry's repeated violations
of probation are signs the former New York Yankees' star needs better
supervision and a more secure setting. The state has asked for 18 months in
prison.

Foster has ruled before in Strawberry's favor, and the leniency she has
shown is within state guidelines and her discretion. The judge is right to
balance punishment with the public interest in rehabilitation. Weaning
addicts from drugs is a legitimate concern, whether or not the defendant is
famous. The courts must confront the root of the problem, and the limited
resources of the prison system should be reserved for the worst offenders.

But Strawberry has repeatedly flouted the law, and the choice between
prison and treatment should not be treated as an either-or proposition. If
treatment can be made available, addicts who violate probation should
undergo rehab while placed in a secure setting. The addiction cannot become
a dispensation to break the law. For some, prison time is both legally and
medically appropriate.

The Strawberry case highlights a lamentable reality that Foster and other
judges must confront. Florida lacks secure facilities in which repeat
offenders can receive intensive substance-abuse treatment. Judges, lawyers
and health-care professionals in the drug court system need to lobby the
Legislature to fund better programs. If Strawberry becomes a rallying point
to expand treatment to average addicts, great. But saving Strawberry from
himself is not the state's primary obligation. It has repeatedly given him
that chance already.