PROP. 36 OFFERS EXPANDED DRUG TREATMENT WHILE RETAINING PENALTIES

Re: "Proposition 36 would sabotage the state's drug courts" (Opinion, Sept.
14):

Judge James Milliken posits that Proposition 36 "offers false hope to
drug abusers and their families desperately seeking to break the
terrible cycle of addiction." His premise: "Drug treatment that works
requires accountability and consequences."

But that premise is flawed because he equates accountability and
consequences with incarceration. Since 1939, millions of men and women
have achieved lasting treatment without incarceration through 12-step
programs. The wreckage of relapse has shown to be an effective
deterrent to recurring drug and alcohol abuse.

Milliken's premise is further flawed because Proposition 36 even
allows for his brand of accountability and consequences. Under the
initiative, individuals placed in a treatment program are subject to
rules of behavior. If they violate the rules, treatment may be
intensified or probation may be revoked, subjecting the violator to
incarceration.

The judiciary should support this proposition rather than wage a turf
war to defend the status quo.

Dan Holsenback,
San Diego