Pubdate: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 Source: Messenger-Inquirer (KY) Copyright: 2004 Messenger-Inquirer Contact: http://www.messenger-inquirer.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1285 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/steve+pence PENCE TAKING DRUG POLICY IN RIGHT DIRECTION For the better part of five years -- since methamphetamine first grabbed its stranglehold on this region -- local law enforcement has delivered a consistent message. This isn't a law enforcement problem; it's a community problem. And until every aspect from prevention to treatment to incarceration is given equal attention, issues with drugs will only worsen. Lt. Gov. Steve Pence is taking this message statewide, and his proposals last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee to shift the focus on fighting drugs are welcome news. Pence is the clearly the right man at the right time to lead this change. For far too long, the issue of combating drugs has been a political hot potato. Enforcement was almost always favored over treatment, because leaders who advocated treatment feared being labeled soft on crime. That can't be said of Pence, a former federal prosecutor who has played a role in putting plenty of drug offenders behind bars. His acknowledgment that enforcement alone will never truly address the problem shows not only his understanding of the issue, but the fact that he has been listening to the many concerns of prevention and treatment professionals. Under Pence's proposals, the state would look to put nonviolent drug offenders in treatment, rather than jail being the first option. Part of that effort will be to expand the use of drug courts, something that has proven to be both successful and more cost-effective than prison. The plan also calls for reducing the state's inmate population by about 12,000, eliminating the evidence testing backlog at state crime labs by April and conducting a review of the state's drug problem and resources available within the next five months. One sticking point could be that Pence may defer the opening of a 1,000-bed prison in Elliott County, which happens to be in the district of House Democratic Leader Rocky Adkins. The concern of Adkins is understandable, considering the prison will provide about 300 jobs. But part of the reason Kentucky has such a problem with drugs is that prisons have been viewed as an economic development tool. When the state builds a $90-million facility -- such is the case in Elliott County -- there must be a reason to justify its existence, so offenders are sent to jail, where it costs about $17,000 annually to house them, rather than treatment, which costs about $5,000. For all it offers, Pence's plan isn't without faults -- the most glaring being how much of it will be funded. Less than 10 percent of Kentuckians with a substance abuse problem are getting the treatment they need. Yet, even with such a low number, treatment resources are already stretched thin. It's difficult to see how simply reallocating resources will provide the money necessary to really make a dent in the problem. The answer may rest in the state's Medicaid system, which doesn't currently pay for substance abuse treatment. If eligibility rules were amended to include substance abuse treatment, Kentucky could receive $70 from the federal government for every $30 it spends on drug and alcohol treatment. More attention to funding will be needed as details of the plan become more clear. But Pence's plan should be pursued, because it changes state policy from one that simply perpetuates the problem, to one that will actually reduce the devastation caused by illegal drug use. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin