Pubdate: Sat, 02 Dec 2000 Source: Baltimore Sun (MD) Copyright: 2000 The Baltimore Sun, a Times Mirror Newspaper. Contact: 501 N. Calvert Street P.0. Box 1377 Baltimore, MD 21278 Fax: (410) 315-8912 Website: http://www.sunspot.net/ Forum: http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/ultbb/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro Author: Paul Alpert Note: The writer is a retired judge of the Court of Special Appeals. MORE PROBATION OFFICERS WON'T STOP DRUG-RELATED CRIME Yes, we need many more probation agents; yes, we need to revamp the Break the Cycle program. But when you have 50,000 drug addicts in Baltimore and 80 percent of crime is drug-related, more probation officers and a revamped outpatient program won't supply the answers Drug addiction is a disease that cannot be cured overnight. We need drug treatment hospitals or long-term, live-in drug treatment programs. Paul Alpert, Baltimore The writer is a retired judge of the Court of Special Appeals - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens