ISSUE 1 SAVINGS COULD HELP CLOSE PRISONS, BACKERS SAY

Ohio taxpayers would save $109 million over seven years by treating instead
of jailing more low-level drug offenders, backers of State Issue 1
estimate. That could result in the closure of one or two state prisons,
according to an Issue 1 analysis by the Ohio Campaign for New Drug Policies.

The proposed constitutional amendment Ohioans will decide on Nov. 5 would
cost $247 million over six years, but at the same time would save $356
million -- resulting in a net savings for taxpayers, according to Edward J.
Orlett, spokesman for the group that got Issue 1 on the ballot. Orlett said
at a Statehouse news conference yesterday that if Issue 1 passes there
would be a net 4,133 nonviolent drug offenders a year diverted to treatment
from state prisons, county jails and community-corrections facilities. An
estimated 1,685 of those would be siphoned away from state prisons. Orlett
suggested that would be enough to warrant the possible closing of a "pretty
large correctional institution.''

Opponents of the issue blasted the projected savings figures as contrived
and overblown. "They have manipulated statistics to accomplish figures that
are pure conjecture and speculation,'' said Jenny Camper, spokeswoman for
Ohioans Against Unsafe Drug Laws. Camper said Issue 1 requires $247 million
in treatment spending, but does not specify or require cost savings.
Potential savings from Issue 1 -- if there are any -- cannot be accurately
predicted until the treatment program begins, she said.

Issue 1 would amend the Ohio Constitution to require judges statewide to
provide the option of treatment instead of jail to nonviolent, first- and
second-time drug-possession offenders. Those with multiple previous drug
convictions could qualify, however, because the two-time prohibition would
begin only after Issue 1 takes effect. The initiative would take effect
July 1, 2003. The state would be required to come up with $19 million in
startup costs for Issue 1, followed by $38 million annually for six years.

Issue 1 backers relied on the Campaign for New Drug Policies, the parent
organization in California, for the comprehensive analysis of information
gleaned from the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the
Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, the Ohio Criminal
Sentencing Commission and the Office of Criminal Justice Services. The
analysis concluded that up to 6,400 nonviolent drug offenders annually
would qualify for Issue 1 drug treatment. Some would have otherwise gone to
prison based on parole violations. Orlett said the savings figures were
calculated by subtracting the annual cost of treatment, $3,500 per year,
from the cost of incarceration, $23,000 per year, and multiplying it times
the number of diverted offenders. However, the calculation included the
cost of treatment for those completing the program as well as for the 35
percent of all offenders expected to fail or drop out of treatment. Issue 1
backers also claimed there would be another $210 million to $224 million in
"societal cost savings'' tied to passage of the treatment program. The
figure takes into account reduced loss of stolen property and many other
factors related to drug-abuse crimes.