NEW STRATEGY IN THE WAR AGAINST DRUGS

Are we winning the war on drugs.

Ventura County voters suggested otherwise when 60% of them voted in favor
of Proposition 36, which shifts the emphasis in some drug cases from
punishment to prevention.

Even the tough disciplinarians of law enforcement are saying we can no
longer just incarcerate our way out of our substance addictions. Newsweek
magazine detailed our national drug-abuse problem last month in a 16-page
report headlined "The War on Addiction." It documented increasing use of
marijuana, cocaine and heroin across the nation.

Under Proposition 36, the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000,
prevention becomes a key component of state law. No longer will drug
problems be dismissed as some supply-side foreign war or demand-side urban
decay.

One of the most significant social justice policy measures in years, this
measure changes sentencing laws to require that adults convicted for the
first time of nonviolent drug possession receive probation and drug
treatment rather than prison time. Exceptions include offenders who refuse
treatment, offenders under the influence while using a firearm and others
deemed by the courts to be "unamenable" to treatment.

Offenders will receive up to one year of drug treatment in the community
and up to six months of follow-up care. They can also be required to
participate in training, counseling, literacy classes or community service.

If they have resources, offenders can be required to pay for their own
treatment. If they successfully complete probation with treatment, their
records can be expunged.

What challenges does this bring to our community. Many.

By July, Ventura County must create detox facilities, treatment beds and
programs to accommodate an estimated 3,000 cases annually. An estimated
$2.4 million will be available annually for planning programs but the cost
of building the infrastructure to accommodate the clients is unknown.

Today we have approximately 25 public and nonprofit groups that provide
substance abuse programs. Only one of them has beds for detox; most are
out-patient programs. Significantly, the act does not allow for drug
testing--a key component in most prevention programs. The probation
department spends about $100,000 annually for drug testing ($5 per test).

Since November, when voters passed Proposition 36, an interagency criminal
justice group that includes Supervisor Judy Mikels and me has worked to
assess conditions and determine what we need to do to comply with the act.

In November, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Barry Klopfer suspended
accepting new cases into our successful juvenile drug court until a new
plan can be developed under the act. The county district attorney, public
defender's office, courts and probation agency are reviewing the language
of the act. As with most public policy by initiatives, there are ambiguous
areas that will need clean-up legislation.

The county Board of Supervisors recently appointed our Department of
Alcohol and Drugs as lead agency for implementation, to oversee programs
and provide reports on performance, costs and reduction in crime. Besides
the bureaucratic side of implementation, there will be the very real work
of adding beds and developing programs for our community.

I recently attended the monthly meeting of the county's Alcohol and Drug
Advisory Board, a group of volunteers who work with county officials on
substance abuse policies and programs. They understand that to win this
war, we must continue to work together to educate youths and adults about
prevention, intervention and recovery. Additional next steps include
educating the public about the commitment the voters made to improve
community-based prevention efforts.

We must embrace the philosophy of prevention right in our own
neighborhoods. The offenders / clients usually are our neighbors, our
fellow workers, our friends. Their war with substance abuse will be won if
we believe in and support this reformed battle strategy.