ALTERNATIVES TO PRISON OFFERED

Bill Passed By Senate Would Soften Mandatory Drug Sentences

A bill that could soften Wisconsin's mandatory drug sentences and offer the
chance of treatment instead of prison for some non-violent offenders won
unanimous approval in the state Senate Friday but is likely to stall in the
Assembly.

The Senate voted 33-0 to approve the Addicted Offenders Accountability and
Public Safety Act, a bill Sen. Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh) introduced this
month that is aimed at offering alternatives to incarceration for
non-violent drug and substance abuse offenders.

Two interfaith religious groups have urged the Legislature to act swiftly
toward adopting a drug policy based on treatment instead of incarceration
for non-violent offenders.

Roessler's bill is the first of three attempts at such a law in as many
years to receive bipartisan support in the Senate. But Roessler said Friday
she isn't sure it will have such support when it comes before the Assembly
on Tuesday.

WISDOM, a statewide congregation-based organization, and MICAH - the
Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope - have been working for a
little over three years to urge legislators to adopt what they call their
TIP - treatment instead of prison proposal - for non-violent offenders.

"I don't know that Tuesday will be the day," Roessler said. "It's my hope
that if and presumably when the Legislature comes back to do some other
business - when we return in two months - my colleagues in the Assembly may
have had the opportunity to ask the questions they need answered."

Under terms of the bill, treatment would be available for non-violent drug
and alcohol offenders with the focus on a program that would make them
largely accountable for successfully completing treatment and other
requirements for participation in the pilot program.

The proposal is based on the idea that drug treatment would be cheaper and
more effective than prison in dealing with that type of offender, Roessler
said.

The program, if approved by the Assembly, would be voluntary for counties
that in turn would create local committees composed of judges, district
attorneys, public defenders, treatment providers and others who would
determine which non-violent crimes would be eligible for the program.

If the legislation passes, Wisconsin could apply for funding under
President Bush's "access to recovery" act and receive an undetermined sum
that could be diverted from the corrections system, Roessler said.

Loyd Hubbard, co-chair of MICAH's TIP campaign, said MICAH and WISDOM were
satisfied with Roessler's proposed bill, even though there were some areas
in the bill "that could stand some tweaking."

"But this is a foot in a door . . . and Carol has done a great job for us,"
he said.