MOTHBALLED TROOPSHIPS COULD BE PRISON ANSWER

Hawai'i needs more and better drug treatment facilities, but costs and "not
in my backyard" are formidable deterrents. Perhaps this would work:

Convert troopships from our mothballed fleet. They have ample living and
working areas and facilities for dining, cooking, exercise, laundry,
dispensary, library, electrical power and communications, plus pumps and
tanks for pollution control, although these would probably have to be
updated at federal expense to bring them in line with current regulations.

A troopship can carry more than 2,000 personnel, so 750 inmates plus 150
more for therapy and other services would not crowd the ship. The services
now send their troops via planes, so the Defense Department has a lot of
these ships with no apparent use for them. Our representatives would ask
Congress for one or more ships plus the funds to de-mothball, convert,
outfit, move them to Hawaiian waters and maintain them for, say, five years,
during which time they would be the core facility for a drug treatment and
rehabilitation experiment.

Some potential benefits:

* No building construction costs.

* Lower operating costs than on land.

* Smaller guard force.

* Facilities could be available within one year.

* Requires no extensive environmental studies.

* Increase or decrease bed spaces by adjusting the number of ships.

* Assures immediate start of therapy and drug rehabilitation the same or
next day after someone decides they want to get off drugs.

* Quickly removes addicts away from neighborhoods and off the streets.

* Frees up space at existing facilities ashore for those who cannot remain
away from their families, e.g., teens, mothers of infants, the infirm, the
only breadwinner in a family.

* Offers treatment much earlier to those who have used drugs for a brief
period before they become hardened addicts.

The ships would be anchored approximately 20 miles offshore, too far to swim
back, but close enough to transport personnel and supplies.

Only those who demonstrate a sincere attitude and the ability to kick their
drug habit would be treated on the ships. Hardcore cases, incorrigibles and
disruptive and abusive inmates should receive treatment on land.

Ed Cesar

Kahalu'u