Pubdate: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 Source: Press Democrat, The (CA) Copyright: 2000, The Press Democrat Contact: http://www.pressdemo.com/ Forum: http://www.pressdemo.com/opinion/talk/ Author: James W. Sweeney BATTLE BREWING OVER DRUG DIVERSION MEASURE Big guns line up on both sides of $120 million initiative Debate over a proposal to shift some 25,000 drug offenders from prison to treatment programs annually is shaping up as a major fight on the fall ballot. The drug treatment initiative is backed by the sponsors of Proposition 215, the medical marijuana measure approved by California voters in 1996. It's already drawing fire from police, prosecutors and prison guards. Supporters include three North Coast lawmakers and other elected officials. Others like the idea but worry the promise of $120 million for drug treatment would be tied up by years of litigation. "The bottom line is the $120 million is good," said John Abrahams, a public defender who handles cases in Sonoma County's recently created drug court. "What is of concern in this -- and we've seen it around Prop. 215 as well - -- initiatives tend to generate 10 years of litigation after they're passed," he said. Only four counties delivered larger majorities for the medical marijuana measure than Sonoma's 69 percent. Proposition 215 passed with a 56 percent majority statewide. If initiative petitions are any signal, the drug treatment measure is popular here too: Only five other counties -- Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego among them -- produced more signatures. Passage of the measure would be the most sweeping change in California criminal law since Three Strikes. By shifting an estimated 25,000 nonviolent first- and second-time drug offenders out of state prisons and county jails, the state's nonpartisan legislative analyst says, the initiative would save taxpayers up to $250 million a year. It would also reduce the need for new prisons and jails. The initiative also would require the state to spend $120 million a year on drug treatment programs through 2006. "We're trying to treat drug abuse as a health issue rather than a criminal justice issue," campaign spokesman Dave Fratello said. Fratello is one of several veterans of the medical marijuana campaign working on the drug treatment initiative. Another one is billionaire George Soros, who bankrolled both efforts. It also has picked up endorsements from San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and 13 legislative Democrats, including Senate President John Burton of San Francisco and Assembly members Kerry Mazzoni of San Rafael and Virginia Strom-Martin of Duncans Mills. Burton, whose district includes part of Sonoma County, makes no secret of past drug problems and has long advocated shifting users out of the criminal justice system. "We should treat drug abuses as health problems," he said. But Sonoma County District Attorney Mike Mullins said he thinks passage of the initiative would threaten drug courts around the state, which route offenders through treatment programs. "I don't know anybody facing a simple drug possession case who isn't offered treatment instead of incarceration in Sonoma County," he said. Mullins complained that the treatment measure includes no funding for drug testing and questioned whether it would strip judges of the right to sanction users who don't successfully complete treatment programs. Fratello said testing was left out because sponsors believe Congress and the Legislature will continue to provide money for that purpose. "We focused on what has been tough to fund -- treatment," he said. The initiative is one of three that already have qualified for the November ballot. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D