Pubdate: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 Source: Dispatch, The (MD) Copyright: 2006 The Maryland Coast Dispatch, Inc. Contact: http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/index.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3263 Author: Shawn Soper WORCESTER AHEAD OF CLASS IN TREATMENT VS. PRISON BERLIN -- Maryland is making slow progress toward the goal of providing treatment, not incarceration for non-violent drug offenders, according to a report released last week, but Worcester is ahead of most jurisdictions thanks to its award-winning drug court established last year. The Justice Policy Institute last week issued a report on Maryland's efforts to offer drug treatment as an alternative to prison sentences for non-violent substance abusers, which shows jurisdictions across the state are making slow, but steady progress in attaining the goal. It is widely accepted that substance abuse treatment, not incarceration is more successful in reducing recidivism, dropping crime rates and ultimately costing much less in the long run and Maryland adopted measures several years ago to provide treatment as an alternative for non-violent offenders. The fruits of those efforts are just now starting to be realized across the state where the number of drug treatment referrals from the criminal justice system increased by 28 percent from 2000 to 2004, while the number of people sentenced to prison for drug offenses declined by 7 percent over the same time period. In Worcester, which has been on the cutting edge with its drug court program for non-violent offenders, the figures are even more dramatic. For example, the number of drug treatment referrals from the court system increased by nearly 160 percent from 2000 to 2004, while prison admissions for non-violent drug offenders declined by 53 percent over the same time period. Over the same time period, Worcester's crime rate declined by nearly 11 percent. The impressive figures are directly related to the success of Worcester's drug court, which received a state award last May just six weeks after opening for business. State leaders in May called Worcester County's drug court program the most innovative in the Maryland and the success of the program is clearly illustrated in the statistics. The program offers treatment and rehabilitation as alternatives to incarceration for non-violent drug offenders. Typical participants are chronic offenders in need of a helping hand to break their cycle of abuse rather than spending time in jail. The statistics show treatment is more successful in changing behavior patterns for non-violent offenders than incarceration, according to Worcester Drug Court Coordinator Tracy Simpson-Hansford. "That's exactly the concept," she said. "Drug court includes very rigorous supervision. The concept is to offer sentencing alternatives for non-violent offenders." Worcester County District Court Judge Gerald V. Purnell agreed this week drug court as an alternative to jail time when it comes to sentencing is paying dividends across Maryland, but particularly in this county. "What they're trying to do in Maryland is change the emphasis from incarceration to treatment," he said. "It's clearly working here in Worcester." Purnell said the fairly new concept was formulated in the wake of a flawed policy two decades ago. "In the 1980s, the answer was this war on drugs that led to more and more jail sentences for non-violent offenders and bigger and bigger prisons," he said. "What we found out is that it didn't solve the problem. We're now taking a different approach and we're seeing results." Simpson-Hansford said some non-violent drug offenders succeed in the drug court program because the prospect of going to jail is hanging over their heads if they fail, but most embrace the program as a means to break their habits. "When they enter drug court, many of them are looking at jail time hanging over their heads," she said. "We're not looking for defendants with tens of years hanging over their heads. We're looking for defendants who have been in and out of jail for short periods of time over their lifetimes. This is alternative to incarceration that provides them with education and rehabilitation opportunities that can let them return as productive members of society." Purnell said the program is not for everyone and the court system is selective about choosing participants. "We have to analyze each case and see what brings them to us over and over again," he said. "They can't be facing less than a year in jail because that's how long it takes to complete the program. If they were only facing 60 days for example, they wouldn't necessarily want to take on a year-long treatment alternative." For the most part, the program is designed for non-violent repeat offenders, according to Purnell. "The intent is to reduce recidivism," he said. "The program is not for first offenders, because in most cases first offenders are not facing jail time. The program is intended for non-violent repeat offenders who we see back in front of us over and over." Aside from the obvious benefits for the offenders themselves and the statistical improvements on the crime rate, there is also a fiscal upside to the drug court program. Simpson-Hansford said the treatment alternative costs more than incarceration in the short term. "Long-term studies have shown paying up front for treatment pays dividends further down the road," she said. "You see some upfront costs, but it's an investment for the future. The people successful in completing the programs do not come back through that revolving door over and over again." - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine