WORCESTER AHEAD OF CLASS IN TREATMENT VS. PRISON

BERLIN -- Maryland is making slow progress toward the goal of
providing treatment, not incarceration for non-violent drug
offenders, according to a report released last week, but Worcester
is ahead of most jurisdictions thanks to its award-winning
drug court established last year.

The Justice Policy Institute last week issued a report on Maryland's
efforts to offer drug treatment as an alternative to prison
sentences for non-violent substance abusers, which shows
jurisdictions across the state are making slow, but steady progress
in attaining the goal. It is widely accepted that substance
abuse treatment, not incarceration is more successful in reducing
recidivism, dropping crime rates and ultimately costing much less in
the long run and Maryland adopted measures several years ago to
provide treatment as an alternative for non-violent offenders.

The fruits of those efforts are just now starting to be realized
across the state where the number of drug treatment referrals from
the criminal justice system increased by 28 percent from 2000 to
2004, while the number of people sentenced to prison for drug
offenses declined by 7 percent over the same time period.

In Worcester, which has been on the cutting edge with its drug court
program for non-violent offenders, the figures are even more
dramatic. For example, the number of drug treatment referrals from
the court system increased by nearly 160 percent from 2000 to 2004,
while prison admissions for non-violent drug offenders declined by
53 percent over the same time period. Over the same time period,
Worcester's crime rate declined by nearly 11 percent.

The impressive figures are directly related to the success of
Worcester's drug court, which received a state award last May just
six weeks after opening for business. State leaders in May called
Worcester County's drug court program the most innovative in the
Maryland and the success of the program is clearly illustrated in
the statistics.

The program offers treatment and rehabilitation as alternatives to
incarceration for non-violent drug offenders. Typical participants
are chronic offenders in need of a helping hand to break their cycle
of abuse rather than spending time in jail. The statistics show
treatment is more successful in changing behavior patterns for
non-violent offenders than incarceration, according to Worcester
Drug Court Coordinator Tracy Simpson-Hansford.

"That's exactly the concept," she said. "Drug court includes very
rigorous supervision. The concept is to offer sentencing
alternatives for non-violent offenders."

Worcester County District Court Judge Gerald V. Purnell agreed this
week drug court as an alternative to jail time when it comes to
sentencing is paying dividends across Maryland, but particularly in
this county.

"What they're trying to do in Maryland is change the emphasis from
incarceration to treatment," he said. "It's clearly working here in
Worcester."

Purnell said the fairly new concept was formulated in the wake of a
flawed policy two decades ago.

"In the 1980s, the answer was this war on drugs that led to more and
more jail sentences for non-violent offenders and bigger and bigger
prisons," he said. "What we found out is that it didn't solve the
problem. We're now taking a different approach and we're seeing results."

Simpson-Hansford said some non-violent drug offenders succeed in the
drug court program because the prospect of going to jail is hanging
over their heads if they fail, but most embrace the program as a
means to break their habits.

"When they enter drug court, many of them are looking at jail time
hanging over their heads," she said. "We're not looking for
defendants with tens of years hanging over their heads. We're
looking for defendants who have been in and out of jail for short
periods of time over their lifetimes. This is alternative
to incarceration that provides them with education
and rehabilitation opportunities that can let them return as
productive members of society."

Purnell said the program is not for everyone and the court system is
selective about choosing participants.

"We have to analyze each case and see what brings them to us over
and over again," he said. "They can't be facing less than a year in
jail because that's how long it takes to complete the program. If
they were only facing 60 days for example, they wouldn't
necessarily want to take on a year-long treatment alternative."

For the most part, the program is designed for non-violent repeat
offenders, according to Purnell. "The intent is to reduce
recidivism," he said. "The program is not for first offenders,
because in most cases first offenders are not facing jail time. The
program is intended for non-violent repeat offenders who we see back
in front of us over and over."

Aside from the obvious benefits for the offenders themselves and the
statistical improvements on the crime rate, there is also a fiscal
upside to the drug court program. Simpson-Hansford said the
treatment alternative costs more than incarceration in the short term.

"Long-term studies have shown paying up front for treatment pays
dividends further down the road," she said. "You see some upfront
costs, but it's an investment for the future. The people successful
in completing the programs do not come back through that revolving
door over and over again."