FALK BACKS TREATMENT FACILITY

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk believes the jail crowding problem
could be solved with a 100-bed treatment facility.

Today, Falk will release the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Program and
Facility Study, which looked at the jail's population and offers ways to
deal with inmates who have substance abuse problems.

"Many of these people get out of jail and re-offend," Falk said. "The
current system does not reduce

Solving jail crowding has been a hot issue for years. Some people -
including Sheriff Gary Hamblin - want to add jail floors, while Falk wants
alternatives.

In this year's budget, Falk set aside $1 million to study jail
alternatives. In May, the County Board agreed to pay $24,800 to
Racine-based Zimmerman Consulting for the study released today.

Dr. Cheryl Zimmerman, who conducted the report, helped develop an in-jail
treatment program in Racine County. Dane County officials toured the
program last spring and were impressed, said Sup. Dennis O'Loughlin,
DeForest, who chairs the County Board's public protection and judiciary
committee.

But O'Loughlin said it's too early to tell if a similar program will work
in Dane County.

"I'm concerned that it might be a delaying tactic in forcing the inevitable
- - that we're going to have to look for more jail space," O'Loughlin said.

O'Loughlin also wonders why existing treatment programs aren't working. In
the 2002 county budget, $3.4 million was allocated to jail alternative and
diversion programs.

But Falk said a treatment facility gives a more intense approach at helping
inmates overcome addictions.

Everyone agrees that the jail is crowded. Last year, it had an average
daily population of 1,018, exceeding the capacity of 942 inmates.

Of those inmates sentenced, about half the population is in jail because of
substance related problems, Falk said.

The report also recommends reorganizing all alternative and diversion
programs under one umbrella, increasing the level of services to
Spanish-speaking offenders and establishing a permanent advisory committee
for jail alternative programs.

Hamblin, who is out of town at a conference, said he hasn't seen the report
and wasn't comfortable commenting.

"We're eager to take that next step," Falk said. "We need a new innovation,
an AODA treatment program for those inmates with chronic drug and alcohol
problems."