TO SAVE MONEY, STATE TO SCALE BACK DRUG ABUSE PROGRAMS FOR EX-CONVICTS

Because of budget cuts, the state will curtail its substance abuse
programs for ex-convicts living in New York City and its suburbs by
month's end, despite research indicating that such programs help
reduce recidivism.

The elimination of about $8.6 million in contracts between the
Department of Correctional Services, the Division of Parole and
nonprofit groups that provide the drug counseling is a tiny drop in
the $1.1 billion that Gov. David A. Paterson has cut from the state's
annual spending since March. About 2,700 parolees participated in the
programs over the last year, and many who work on smoothing prisoner
re-entry worry that cutting the programs could land hundreds of them
back behind bars.

"It is a panicky response," said Harry K. Wexler, whose research for
the National Development and Research Institutes, a New York-based
nonprofit, suggests that community drug treatment programs cut
re-arrest and re-incarceration rates in half over five years. "They
are cutting their nose off to spite their face."

The Department of Corrections did not renew a $577,000 annual contract
that ended last month with Stay'n Out, a respected drug-treatment
program that has, since 1977, helped New Yorkers make the transition
from prison to their communities. At the same time, the Division of
Parole is, at the end of November, shutting down its entire
drug-treatment portfolio, which included outpatient and residential
programs around New York State.

Erik Kriss, a spokesman for the corrections department, said that the
agency regretted eliminating the Stay'n Out contract, but that it has
to "protect its own people." The department is continuing to operate
an extensive drug-treatment program inside the prison system with its
own staff, serving almost 11,000 inmates at a cost of $20 million a
year, which Mr. Kriss said is more cost-effective than the private
programs.

But the effectiveness of the prison programs has never been evaluated
by an independent group, and they are generally not available to
convicts once they are released, except in certain work-release
programs upstate.

Mr. Wexler said his research has "shown you have to have an aftercare
program," adding: "It is a big part of the deal."

Matt Anderson, a spokesman for the state's Division of the Budget,
said the economic downturn was forcing the administration to make some
unhappy choices. He also said that the state's Office of Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse Services, which has a budget of more than $600
million to serve the general public, is getting an additional $2
million aimed specifically at parolees to offset $8 million in cuts.
"With the state facing record budget deficits, the unfortunate reality
is that there will be many worthy programs with laudable goals that
will experience reductions in funding," he said.

The cuts worry ex-convicts like Jason, who is 36 and has been in drug
therapy through a residentially based parolee program at Phoenix House
in Manhattan since he left prison a year ago after serving eight years
for first-degree robbery. He said that he became addicted to crack
cocaine while growing up in Queens with a mother who used drugs, and
spoke on the condition his last name not be used because he does not
want to call attention to his addiction as he tries to clean up his
life.

"This is not a one-day process," Jason said of the treatment. "To come
this far and then be told you can't be involved is too hard to take."