S.J. TO GET $1M FOR PROP. 36 STARTUP

Drug Treatments To Be Set Up

San Joaquin County is in line to receive almost $1 million in startup money
to implement Proposition 36, the state proposition passed in November which
calls for treatment instead of jail time for nonviolent drug-possession
offenders.

The cash is part of an initial $58.78 million in startup money distributed
across the state. An additional $120 million will be set aside annually for
the next five years for drug-treatment services beginning this fiscal year.

Under state regulations, San Joaquin County must name a lead county agency
to implement the proposition locally to receive the $972,870 in startup money.

The announcement came in a letter dated Dec. 29 from the state Department
of Alcohol and Drug Programs, the state agency implementing the law.

Once a local agency is appointed by the county Board of Supervisors, the
money will support treatment services for those eligible beginning July 1.
The deadline for counties to respond is March 1.

None have yet, a state spokeswoman said.

Tony Rocha, a management analyst for the San Joaquin County Administrator's
Office, said it's too early to say which county agency will be appointed to
oversee the act locally, or if the amount is sufficient for the county.

A resolution from the Board of Supervisors naming the lead agency should
come no later than mid-February, Rocha said.

The state still is determining what amount of the $120 million available
each year will be distributed to counties and is working on guidelines,
said T. Maria Caudill, a state drug-programs spokeswoman.

Each county will not necessarily receive double the amount recently
allocated, she said.

The allocations were based on each county's population, drug arrests and
drug-treatment caseloads.

Los Angeles County is eligible for most of the startup money, with $15.7
million. Alpine County had the least, with $77,444.

Of 57 counties, 14 are eligible for more money than San Joaquin.

Neighboring counties were: Amador, with $116,429; Calaveras, with $145,891;
Merced, $368,148; Sacramento, $2.1 million; and Stanislaus, $735,361.