DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM AT JAIL NEEDED

The debate over punishment versus treatment for drug offenders, from an
ideological perspective, is one that has strong arguments on both sides of
the issue.

But study after study show that, without adequate treatment, all the
enforcement in the world isn't going to alleviate the growing drug problem.

That's bad news for Owensboro, because in terms of treatment options, this
community is lacking. That was the assessment of an assistant U.S.
attorney, who in the midst of an all-out assault on meth two years ago,
said treatment options were limited, and those available weren't very
successful.

And it was the assessment of a group of local officials -- led by former
City Commissioner Olive Burroughs -- who last year began exploring how
additional treatment options could be offered to the community.

Jailer David Osborne, however, has an idea that has the potential to not
only address some of these concerns, but to do so at a level where need is
greatest.

Osborne wants to take the 24-bed E. Louis Johnson Youth Alternative Center
- -- which is sitting empty -- and convert it into an intensive substance
abuse treatment program for inmates.

He envisions a three-to six-month program for nonviolent offenders, which
would include daily classes led by area substance abuse professionals.

But if Osborne wants to have maximum results, he should consider a program
that will also include -- or even require -- a transition phase where
participants must continue treatment after they are released from custody.
Studies show that without an after-release program, the impact of treatment
programs in jails is greatly minimized, if not negated.

Osborne estimates that eight out of every 10 people who enter the Daviess
County jail eventually return. The obvious reason is that the issues that
led to their being arrested -- substance abuse, in many cases -- still
exist when they are released. If their environment isn't changed, addiction
will ultimately lead them down the same troubled path.

And few are getting the help they need behind bars, both locally and at the
national level. While the Office of National Drug Control Policy estimates
that between 60 to 80 percent of all inmates have substance abuse problems,
the common estimate among treatment professionals is that only one in 10
get the help they need.

Those who do get help, however, tend to lead more productive lives. A study
of a New York prison released in March showed that those who received
treatment were 67 percent less likely to return to jail than those who
didn't. Similar results were found in a 2000 study of inmates in
California, Delaware and Texas.

With details still being ironed out, we hope Osborne and others give
serious consideration to adding after-release options to this program. But
his idea for a treatment center is one that deserves public support,
because it offers a real chance to meet a critical area of need in the
ongoing battle with drugs.