STATE MAKES STRIDES AGAINST DRUG PROBLEM

Messenger-Inquirer Ernie Fletcher has had his share of ups and downs in his
first seven months as governor, but one area where his administration has
continually distinguished itself is in dealing with Kentucky's substance
abuse problems.

A great deal of attention has been given to the efforts of Fletcher and Lt.
Gov. Steve Pence to canvass Kentucky communities and come up with a
comprehensive strategy for tackling this problem. That highly anticipated
plan should be released soon, and we expect it to have a tremendous impact.

But there are other efforts ongoing as well that aren't as high-profile,
but are equally important. Take, for example, the reduction of case
backlogs at state crime labs.

Messenger-Inquirer reporter Justin Willis reported last week that
prosecutors are noticing a significant improvement in the time it takes to
get evidence processed and returned from state crime labs.

For several years, prosecutors complained that they were being hindered by
the fact that it took months, sometimes even more than a year, to get
evidence back from the crime labs. The lab in Madisonville, for example,
where Daviess County sent much of its evidence, had a backlog of as many as
1,500 cases at some points.

This often led to cases be dismissed or, at the very least, the defendant
being released on bond. In some cases, prosecutors were forced to consider
plea bargains, and even lesser sentences, to keep cases moving through the
system.

Right after Fletcher took office, he identified easing the backlog as a
priority, and Pence put the labs on notice that if they didn't reduce the
backlogs, they would be moved directly under his supervision at the Justice
Cabinet.

To be clear, the problems weren't entirely the fault of the labs and their
employees. The level of funding coming from the state wasn't adequate to
maintain the staffing needed to keep up with the state's burgeoning drug
problem.

And the Fletcher administration doesn't deserve all the credit here. It was
the legislature who agreed to additional funding that increased staffing
and allowed 5,200 cases to be outsourced to private labs in a one-time
deal. The labs are also now assisted by a statewide computer system, which
allows them to not only share cases, but information about cases that may
have already ended with pleas.

But it's still impressive that the Fletcher administration needed only a
few months to help ease a problem that existed for several years. We look
forward to more of this type of leadership as Kentucky looks to slow the
flow of illegal drugs throughout its communities.