WHEN CONVICTS RETURN

Violent crime is down in America. According to Washington analysts, it's at
a 20-year low nationwide. There are many reasons for this drop: more police
on the streets, a new focus on community policing, a strong economy and
tougher prosecution and sentencing -- mainly on drug-related crimes.

As the elected leaders of America's cities, mayors are pleased by the low
crime rates and the success of efforts we have made to help bring them
about. But a new public safety concern lurks before us. The nation's prison
and jail population grew by more than 60 percent in the 1990s, to nearly
1.9 million people. It is estimated that drug and alcohol abuse and
addiction are implicated in the crimes and incarceration of up to 80
percent of the men and women behind bars. And although the average length
of sentences has increased, 95 percent of prisoners will eventually reenter
society.

It is estimated that 585,000 ex-convicts returned to our nation's cities
and suburbs in 2000, and that this number will grow to more than 600,000 in
2001. The question facing us is this: In what condition will they hit the
streets, and what are they going to do?

One fear is that these ex-convicts will come out of prison still addicted
to drugs. How is this possible? Simply stated, it is easier to get drugs in
some prisons than on city streets -- and less than half of all prisons and
jails provide drug treatment.

Most convicts enter prison or jail with some kind of substance abuse
problem. Drugs are widely available in those prisons and jails, while
treatment isn't. Are we really surprised that so many ex-offenders commit
new crimes and are sent back into the criminal justice system? In fact,
two-thirds are rearrested within three years.

In addition, we must still focus on the very serious question of what
ex-convicts can expect in the way of employment options upon release from
prison. What, if any, skills training did they receive while in prison? Who
is going to be willing to hire almost 600,000 ex-convicts this year?

Mayors don't have all the solutions to these problems, but we have put
forward some ideas we think can help:

- - We must require that authorities do a better job of keeping drugs out of
prisons and jails. Studies have shown that a comprehensive enforcement
effort that employs surveillance, searches and random drug testing can all
but eliminate drug use in prison. If the jails and prison wardens can't do
a better job on this front, we need to get new wardens.

- - We need to provide drug and alcohol treatment to any prisoner who seeks
it. It's clear that treatment in prison can work. We must try to help
prisoners break their physical and mental addictions while they are under
supervision.

- - We must require that every prisoner pass a drug test prior to release.
Any prisoner actively using drugs at the time of release will assuredly use
them when on the street and commit other crimes to finance that use.

- - We must require that all persons on probation or parole continue to pass
drug tests and be provided treatment options. We cannot assume that even if
clean at the time of release, an ex-offender will be able to resist the
drug culture when left on his own.

Working with both the Clinton administration and some members of Congress,
we mayors have supported proposals to move this agenda forward, including
the administration's reentry initiative to target resources in high-impact
communities for increased law enforcement, drug testing and treatment, and
critical employment, training and other services. Some progress was made
last year yet even our modest bill that would require that every federal
prisoner pass a drug test prior to release did not move. We also heard very
little public comment on the subject of illegal drugs in America from
either candidate for president during the campaign.

It's important for politicians to remember that our economy is strong in
significant part because of the increased public safety in our urban and
suburban communities, which has helped create an environment friendly to
economic investment and expansion.

We must also continue to focus on the incredible financial and social toll
that illegal drugs take on individuals, their families and the community at
large -- and how much better a nation we could become with an even greater
reduction in drug use and crime rates.

We cannot keep every drug felon in prison forever. Unless we deal with the
question of the return of 600,000 ex-convicts to our cities and suburbs, we
could be facing an unfortunate reverse in our successful fight against
crime that will cost every taxpayer money, and put our police and citizens
at risk.

The writer is mayor of Boise, Idaho, and president of the United States
Conference of Mayors.