HELP TROUBLED YOUTH

Patty Machelor did an excellent job of documenting the challenges facing
Arizona's juvenile-justice system as it deals with the ever- growing
problem of drug abuse ("Treatment options shrink," April 9).

The sooner these youths get treatment, the better it is for them, their
families and society.

By the time they reach the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections,
their drug use has tangled them up in problems - failure in school,
involvement with gangs, stresses on relationships with families and friends
and, of course, repeated arrests and court adjudications.

By the time a youth is sent to this department, he or she has been before a
juvenile court six times, on average.

About 95 percent suffer from chronic drug abuse. That is why this
department places a heavy emphasis on programs targeting the use of alcohol
and illicit drugs.

Eight of 10 young people who complete our programs do not return to either
adult or juvenile prison for at least 12 months, and 55 percent of these
were still out of prison four years later.

Arizona needs more substance-abuse programs for young people who need
intervention to keep them from retreating into a drug-induced haze.

Our department is doing its part and will continue to do so.

Steve Meissner

Public information officer Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections, Phoenix