BUDGET CRISIS SLASHING PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR PRISONERS, JUVENILES, DRUG OFFENDERS

RICHMOND, Va. -- The state budget crisis has hit all sectors of Virginia,
but mayors and county supervisors across the state say programs to help
prisoners, drug abusers and juvenile offenders have suffered the most.

Some programs have been slashed in half. Others have been given a death
sentence.

"Public safety and juvenile programs are the hardest hit," said Richmond
Mayor Rudolph McCollum, who last week pleaded with Gov. Mark R. Warner to
restore a 50 percent cut in juvenile justice funds.

In Hampton, city officials may have to abort the launch of a special court
program that steers drug abusers toward recovery. Its state funding has
disappeared.

In Newport News, state budget cuts could cost the jobs of six people who
help kids in trouble with the law.

In Williamsburg and the Middle Peninsula, programs for ex-prisoners who
must adjust to life in the outside world face the prospect of no money, and
coordinators are looking to the community for help.

"It's a disaster. I shudder to think what's going to happen," said Jean
Auldridge, director of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants.
"We want to be smart on crime, and being smart is helping people who need
help."

Faced with Virginia's worst fiscal crisis in 10 years, state lawmakers
slashed criminal justice programs on their way to closing a $3.8 billion
budget gap. Warner has until April 8 to file his own budget amendments, and
he could decide to restore some of the money.

Spokesman Kevin Hall said Warner has promised nothing beyond a thorough review.

"The governor is going to spend a lot of time in the coming week reviewing
the General Assembly's recommendations on the budget and policy issues," he
said last week.

In deciding what to cut, lawmakers said they scrutinized programs that were
not statewide. They were critical of any program without hard data to back
up claims of success, and stressed a return to the "core" functions of
government. So, relatively new programs got a long, hard look.

Victims include drug courts in localities around the state. The specialized
courts combine strict supervision, constant monitoring and repeat
appearances before a judge to help addicts turn their lives around.
Thirteen localities or regions have drug courts now, and nine more are
planning to start a program this year.

Hampton wanted to start a drug court this year, and city officials are
pursuing a $500,000 federal start-up grant, said Mary Bunting, assistant
city manager. But the federal grant requires matching state money, which
means the city might have to abandon its effort.

"The biggest concern is that the federal government will stop funding drug
courts altogether if the state zeroes out funding," Bunting said.

Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Sharp, who heads the
Virginia Drug Court Association, said the state's two older drug
courts--one in the Roanoke area, the other in Charlottesville _ have a
track record of success, he said.

"I imagine if these cuts remain, the drug court programs that survive will
not be as extensive as they have been, or should be," he said.