DRUG OFFENSES TOPS REASONS FOR PRISON SURGE

TALLAHASSEE - Nearly 3,000 prisoners were locked up in June, the
largest number of new inmates in any month in Florida in more than a
decade.

The bulge in the state prison population, which caught officials by
surprise, was largely driven by a big jump in the number of people
being imprisoned for drug crimes, according to state Department of
Corrections figures.

The immediate problem - a looming lack of bed space - may have been
resolved last week when Gov. Jeb Bush signed an emergency measure
shifting more than $65 million from reserves into a flurry of new
prison construction.

But officials now are starting to question what is causing such a
large and unexpected spike in prison admissions while, as politicians
are quick to point out, the crime rate has dropped to record lows.

With drug crimes causing about a quarter of the new admissions, some
advocates for drug treatment are pointing to cuts in spending on
treatment programs for prisoners and people who otherwise might go to
prison, suggesting they're at least partly to blame.

"There is little substance abuse treatment available to offenders,"
John Daigle, executive director of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Association, said Monday.

His group, which advocates for increased spending for treatment, is
concerned that cuts in abuse programs for prisoners simply means
they're more likely to commit drug crimes when they get out - and the
first group of prisoners who've been denied treatment may be now
returning to society, only to offend again.

"It's part of the puzzle," Daigle said. "Not a one-to-one correlation,
but they do need to restore those cuts for substance abuse treatment."

Spending on treatment for prisoners has dropped from $15.5 million two
years ago to about half that this year. Diversionary programs for
people on probation, house arrest and other programs meant to keep
them out of prison while being punished have been cut by $6 million in
the last two years.

Several experts believe the decrease in treatment spending might be
one factor contributing to the sudden increase in prison admissions,
but most said that's it's overly simplistic to directly link the
phenomena without factoring in other elements.

"One of the biggest predictors of recidivism is employment and we are
in an economic slowdown," said Thomas Blomberg, a criminologist at
Florida State University.

Still, Blomberg said Florida's prison system likely mirrors a national
problem: programs aimed at helping prisoners readjust to life outside
are generally lacking.

"Nationally, there has been a general decline in vocational,
educational and drug treatment programs," Blomberg said. "It could be
that this is one of the factors driving this sudden increase, it could
be something else."

Florida Corrections Secretary James Crosby has been charged by Bush
with finding out what is going on and a department spokesman said a
report would be put together in the coming weeks. Prosecutors have
said they're generally at a loss to explain the increase, too.

The state's top drug abuse fighter, Jim McDonough, said he doesn't
think cuts in treatment funding have been much of a factor. At least
not yet, he said, because they haven't had time. Since the cuts were
made two years ago, "not many of them have come out of prison without
having gotten treatment and then had time to commit another crime," he
said.

McDonough, director of the state's Office of Drug Control Policy,
notes most people sent to prison for drug crimes are drug dealers, not
small-time users who could be helped by treatment.

Lawmakers, even while approving more money for prisons, also are
looking for answers.

"I do think we need more treatment," said Democratic state Rep. Dan
Gelber of Miami Beach, a former prosecutor. "But it's too simplistic
to say more treatment equals reduced demand"

HIKE IN ADMISSIONS

Admissions to Florida prisons by type of crime in fiscal year 2002-
2003:

Drug offenses: 29 percent
Theft: 14.7 percent
Burglary: 14.6 percent
Assault and other violent crime: 13.7 percent

Robbery: 7.9 percent
Sex crimes: 5.8 percent
Murder: 3.1 percent
Weapons violations: 3 percent
Other: 8.2 percent