Pubdate: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA) Copyright: 2000 The Fresno Bee Contact: http://www.fresnobee.com/man/opinion/letters.html Website: http://www.fresnobee.com/ Forum: http://www.fresnobee.com/man/projects/webforums/opinion.html Author: Terry Bergfalk, Special to the Bee Bookmark: Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act http://www.mapinc.org/prop36.htm PROP. 36 INCITES DRUG USE, PORTERVILLE COUNSELOR SAYS PORTERVILLE -- Deborah Sanderson, a recovering drug addict and a graduate of the Tulare County Drug Court, is concerned about the passage of Proposition 36. The proposition bans incarceration for drug users convicted for the first and second time of being under the influence of drugs or possessing drugs for personal use. Instead, the users are sent into a treatment program. If they fail treatment or violate probation three times, they no longer are eligible for treatment and can be sent to jail for no longer than 30 days. Sanderson, who now works at Alternative Services as a counselor and program facilitator for people with drug addiction, sees many differences between Prop. 36 and the drug court. "The drug court structure uses a motivating crisis, which is the threat of incarceration. This helps keep people motivated to stay in an intensive program. It is a very difficult program," Sanderson said. "The new statute will just recommend treatment for first- and second-\time\ drug offenders." "Addiction is a very strong thing to overcome, but you need to have something that keeps you motivated into recovery," Sanderson said. "That's one of the reasons drug court works so well -- it's a combination of the threat of jail and outpatient treatment. "Prop. 36 says everyone has the right to go into treatment with no jail time. Not everyone wants treatment, so they will be placed in with people that do, and these are the ones that become disruptive, argumentative and you have to spend a lot of your time dealing with this behavior and the problems it presents." Sanderson points out the new statute doesn't provide enough impetus to get people to comply with the program. "You have to take someone with the ability to think with an addictive mind," Sanderson said. "I'm a recovering addict; I took methamphetamine for over 10 years. At first I thought the proposition was a great idea; I like the idea of people having a choice of recovery treatment rather than going immediately into custody." But when she started to look at how the proposition worked, she said, she saw that addicts can go from one treatment center to another. She believes most of those in the program will have no intention of complying. "This is going to be like a revolving door of taxpayers paying for a treatment to go on and on," Sanderson said. "You see, addicts have a tendency to manipulate." Another concern of Sanderson's is that the drug problem will not be solved. "Now, out on the street the word is they can use drugs and not go into custody. You are going to see activity," she said. "Addicts have the idea we don't have to be held accountable," Sanderson said. "There will be more open use of drugs and more arrogance. You're going to see increased activity on the streets, and all kinds of drug-related crimes are going to start picking up." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake