COOK CO. IS NUMBER ONE IN FELONY DRUG CASES

Cook Tops List of 39 Counties Surveyed in 2006 Justice Department
Study

In Cook County, drug crimes represented a bigger share of felony cases
than any other major county in the United States, according to a
federal study released Thursday.

The Justice Department study -- a snapshot of 39 counties in May 2006
- -- found that drug crimes were the most serious charge filed against
57 percent of felony defendants in Cook County.

Also in Cook County, only 9 percent of the felony cases involved
violent crimes, the lowest percentage in the United States, according
to the study. The percentage of property crimes and public crimes,
such as driving under the influence, were in the average range among
the 39 counties.

"Do I see a lot of drug cases in the jail? Yes," said Cook County
Sheriff Tom Dart.

People charged with drug offenses are offered job training and
substance-abuse treatment to help them break the cycle of drug
dependency when they get out of jail, Dart said. For instance, the
sheriff's office is opening a greenhouse that will offer horticultural
training to about 100 inmates charged with nonviolent drug crimes.

About 400 of the 9,000 inmates at the jail near 26th and California
are getting intensive drug rehabilitation in a dorm setting, Dart
said. About 600 others have been outfitted with electronic bracelets
and are confined to their homes. Of those, about 200 of them return to
the jail regularly for drug treatment, he said.

"It's something we've expanded on," Dart said. "On the other hand, we
don't have a really good strategy for the violent people, except
keeping them away from everybody else."

Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's
office, said about 75 percent of the cases that come into preliminary
courts in Chicago are narcotics cases. Police bring felony narcotics
charges to court without prior approval from prosecutors -- unlike
other types of felonies, Daly said. In drug cases, the state's
attorney's office "can only charge what police bring us," she said.

When prosecutors review other types of felony cases such as murder and
robbery, they approve charges in about 85 percent of them, Daly said.

A police spokesman said the department is reviewing the study and
would not comment further. Over the last decade, the department has
made a push to net drug dealers in conspiracy cases, which carry
serious felony charges. That may explain part of the reason for the
large percentage of felony drug charges, police sources say.

In Los Angeles County, drug felonies represented about 42 percent of
the total number of felonies in May 2006, the Justice Department study
showed. In New York County, drug felonies represented 35 percent of
the total. Violent offenses, meanwhile, constituted about 20 percent
of the total in Los Angeles County and 21 percent in New York County,
the study said.