$4.5 MILLION OF PROP. 36 DRUG FUNDS FOR COUNTY

Measure Lets Many Users Get Treatment Instead Of Jail

San Diego County will receive $4.5 million from the state to plan new ways
of treating drug offenders under Proposition 36, the sweeping measure
approved by voters in November that mandates treatment instead of jail time.

The money is the county's share of an initial $60 million allocated
statewide for counties to prepare new programs, expand existing ones and
hire employees to comply with thousands of cases expected to flow through
the system.

Exactly how many new cases are involved is still not known. However, county
officials are using a figure of 3,500 per year coming through the courts
because of the measure, said Vaughn Jeffery, a project manager with the
county who is coordinating much of the planning.

That figure could change, he said. And there are those who think the impact
will eventually be far greater. The Probation Department estimates a
caseload of 10,000 in two years. "It's a fluid number that can change,"
said Deputy District Attorney Lori Koster, coordinator of the office's drug
court unit.

Proposition 36 requires drug treatment for first-and second-time nonviolent
offenders arrested on drug possession charges, as well as treatment for
some parole violators.

It provides $120 million a year in state funds for treatment programs and
other services.

The measure, approved by 61 percent of the voters, is widely seen as the
nation's boldest move away from the drug war's emphasis on punishment for
drug offenses and toward a model that emphasizes treatment.

Because of that, it is being watched by both those who advocate revising
drug laws and those who say treatment without the threat of incarceration
is a step backward.

The measure takes effect July 1, so court and county officials are hustling
to line up treatment space.

"We are going to need a full range of treatment options," said Al Medina,
alcohol and drug services administrator for the county. "There won't be a
cookie-cutter approach to this."

The $4.5 million represents 7.5 percent of the amount available. It is the
second-largest amount allocated to counties in the state, trailing only the
$15 million awarded to the sprawling Los Angeles court system.

Medina said court and county officials are focusing on several key issues:

Surveying the more than 50 organizations that contract with the county to
provide treatment services to determine their current capacity and how much
they can expand.

It is not yet known whether the system can handle an additional 3,500
patients, Medina said. There are now about 14,000 people in treatment
programs supervised by the county, he said.

Initial estimates are that 20 percent of the new cases will require
inpatient residential treatment, with the rest treated on an outpatient basis.

Establishing residential treatment facilities can be expensive,
time-consuming and controversial.

"That is going to be a major issue," said Dr. Bill Mead, clinical director
for Mental Health Systems, which runs treatment programs for the county's
drug courts in Vista, El Cajon and Chula Vista. Mead said even expanding
outpatient facilities -- such as neighborhood centers -- can be difficult
because of city zoning laws and neighborhood opposition.

Budgeting and staffing. Medina said a budget allocating the funds will be
presented to the Board of Supervisors Feb. 27.

Meanwhile, officials must determine how many additional probation officers
and treatment center staffers will be needed, he said.

The Legislature will be asked for more money, said Chief Probation Officer
Alan Crogan. The proposition provided no funds for drug testing, which many
officials say is crucial to successful rehabilitation.

Crogan said state funds will be sought to pay for testing. In addition, the
Legislature will be asked to help fund the cost of probation officers
supervising Proposition 36 cases, he said.

All of this will have to be worked out in the coming months.

"There are still a lot of unknowns," said Mead, who said treatment
providers are watching the county planning closely. "People really are not
sure yet how all of this is going to roll out."