Pubdate: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 Source: Coles County Leader (IL) Copyright: 2005 Coles County Leader Contact: http://www.colescountyleader.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3308 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) FINDINGS OF METH TASK FORCE UNVEILED LAST WEEK State Representative Chapin Rose and fellow members of the Illinois House Republican Methamphetamine Crisis Task Force on Friday, Jan. 21 unveiled their findings from recent statewide hearings and new initiatives to fight Illinois' growing methamphetamine abuse crisis. "Late last summer we held 14 public hearings throughout the state to determine what we can do to assist our local communities fight the manufacture, use and spread of this deadly drug," said Rose (R-Mahomet), a co-chairman of the task force. "Today we presented stories and testimony from the front line of this battle and new measures we are proposing to help us win." "Perhaps the most important thing we learned at our hearings is that procedures in place to deal with other offenders don't work with meth abusers. Solving this problem will require new, creative approaches to treating meth abusers, while protecting the rest of the community," said State Representative Dan Brady (R-Bloomington), the other co-chair of the task force. The production and use of methamphetamine while on the rise statewide is most prevalent in small rural communities. This is due to better access to anhydrous ammonia, a key ingredient, and a lessened risk of discovery due to the distinct odors created during the manufacturing process. In the year 2000, Illinois State Police reported 403 encounters with clandestine meth labs. By 2003, that number escalated to 1,099. The Task Force report indicates that the average meth user is a 34-year-old white male. However, some counties have seen dramatic increases in the number of females using meth. One of the most disturbing findings is that one-third of the meth labs discovered by law enforcement last year were in homes with children present. Based on testimony at the hearings, the task force has developed an innovative strategy to combat meth use and to treat abusers. The cornerstone of the new plan calls for the establishment of a statewide "Drug Court" system. "While this is a new idea in Illinois, drug courts have been utilized very successfully in other areas of the country to lower both the instances of repeat offenses and the cost to the state," said Rose. "A national study conducted last year showed that the re-arrest rate for drug court graduates was approximately 16 percent. Compare that to the recidivism rate for incarcerated drug offenders here in Illinois in 2002, which was 45 percent." Rose also added that Illinois' annual cost of incarcerating a drug offender is $23,812 per year. Whereas, drug court costs per offender vary but may be as low as $2,000 per person per year. Other legislative initiatives task force members will introduce in the Illinois General Assembly this spring will include: - - Making possession of any amount of meth a Class X Felony. - - Creating a new Department of Human Services Pilot Program to provide increased access to meth treatment. - - Instituting new measures to help local emergency agencies recoup resources expended for the costly and dangerous clean up of meth lab sites. The average cost of a clean up for a small lab is approximately $5,000. - - Establishing an Illinois State Police Meth Hotline for reporting suspected or known meth lab sites. - - Developing a standard protocol for the schools, DCFS, and law enforcement to follow in cases involving children. "We are especially concerned about children subjected to meth labs," said Rose. Rose continued, "Our hearings unearthed a disturbing trend in breakdowns of protocol between DCFS, schools, and law enforcement where minor children our concerned. Our recommendations will help fix this problem." - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager