Pubdate: Tue, 05 Feb 2002 Source: Florida Today (FL) Copyright: 2002 Florida Today Contact: http://www.floridatoday.com/forms/services/letters.htm Website: http://www.flatoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532 Author: Jim Nordby, Sr Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n144/a02.html Alert: Governor Jeb Bush And Tough Drug Law Policies http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0230.html STATE CUTS DRUG TREATMENT FUNDS Now that his own daughter is caught up in the drug war nonsense, how do you suppose Gov. Jeb Bush will react? Here's the lead paragraph from a story published in the Miami Herald on Jan. 27, just before the day Ms. Bush was allegedly caught trying to score some Xenix illegally. "In a state where nearly a third of all crimes are drug-related, the Department of Corrections has approved a budget cut that will eliminate the bulk of drug treatment among inmates and greatly reduce the state's program to help drug addicts outside the prison system." The article goes on to say the governor hopes to save the state $13 million by eliminating these and other treatment programs, all part of a $1 billion reduction in spending. The programs slated for elimination or a reduction in funding have proven successful and tend to keep many first time, nonviolent offenders, like Ms. Bush, out of already crowded prisons. Here's what Dade County Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren had to say about the reductions: "As a judge who relies on community-based resources very, very heavily, I can tell you the elimination of these mental health and drug treatment beds will be disastrous." I think it also will be disastrous, politically anyway, if the governor uses his position to get his daughter preferential treatment while other, less fortunate minor offenders find themselves in jail for the same crime. We'll know soon enough. JIM NORDBY, SR, Mims - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake