EARLY RELEASE PROGRAM SHOULD BENEFIT STATE

Under a law passed last year, nonviolent drug offenders could be granted
early release from prison to relieve overcrowding and state cost.

Act 403 establishes three panels to review applications of nonviolent
offenders to gauge their risk to the public if they were released. Those
panels will make recommendations to the Probation and Parole boards for
clemency or parole.

The increased demand on the state department of public safety and
corrections should be relieved by the Legislature's approved funding for 67
new positions.

Most released prisoners are guilty of drug-related crimes.

The act, passed during last year's regular session, also repeals minimum
mandatory sentences and reduces the length of sentences.

The state projects that 1,247 offenders will be diverted or released from
secure facilities with a total saving of $5 million.

The state can reap more social and economic benefits of Act 403 if eligible
inmates are closely monitored in effective drug treatment programs,
preferably before and after their release.

The Brooklyn Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison program, for instance,
diverts prison-bound drug offenders to residential drug treatment for 15 to
24 months. The program costs $18,000 per offender versus $44,000 for the
first year of incarceration and $30,000 for each following year in state
prison. The 19 percent recidivism rate for DTAP graduates is in stark
contrast to the 46 percent rate for similar defendants who did not
participate. Recidivism is the rate at which offenders re-commit crimes.

Also, the National Institute of Justice Research found that drug offenders
who received 12 to 15 months of treatment in prison, followed by six months
of drug treatment and job training, were more than twice as likely to be
drug-free than offenders who only received treatment in prison. Offenders
who received both forms of treatment were also more likely to be
arrest-free 18 months after release - 71 percent versus 48 percent.

Louisiana will benefit most from Act 403 if the issue of recidivism is also
addressed.