SAVING TAX MONEY

Drug rehabilitation is working for Jacksonville's non-violent drug
offenders. And it's saving taxpayers about $11,000 a day, or about $4
million a year.

Michael Hallett, University of North Florida criminal justice professor,
studied Jacksonville's federally funded Breaking the Cycle project, and its
sister program, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Pretrial Services Unit.

Among the findings, Hallett also found:

# Those in the rehab programs re-offended at a lower rate.

# Holding non-violent drug offenders in jail with high bonds isn't
necessarily "getting tough on crime." Offenders will sometimes stay in jail
rather than go through rehab.

The pretrial services program includes urinalysis, work release and
substance abuse treatment.

In 2002, 758 people with five or more arrests went to jail 4,738 times,
according to Sheriff John Rutherford. "We had a revolving door."

Rutherford said he prefers treating offenders who are severely mentally ill
or who are severely addicted to drugs than sending them to jail.

The pretrial services program has been available to offenders for the last
eight months. Only 23 have been assigned by the courts to go through the
program; 103 more qualified.

"The program is early," Rutherford said. "Of the 23 who have been through
the program, none have been rearrested, but it is very early."

Hallett said the study showed that many drug offenders choose to stay in
jail, which averages 57 days per person.

"We've lost our way dealing with addiction," he said. "We over-rely on the
jails. They sit there for 30 to 54 days, and they get out in a few days
after they see the judge. They stay because many seek to avoid treatment."

Rutherford and Hallett agreed that many of the inmates are avoiding what
would help them. Rehabilitation holds those non-violent drug offenders
accountable.

A program like pretrial services should be mandatory. Not only is about $4
million a year saved for the taxpayers, but we are helping those in our
community who have strayed down the wrong path. This one seems like a
no-brainer. And now Rutherford has the numbers to back him up.