Pubdate: Mon, 27 Apr 2015
Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Copyright: 2015 Sun-Times Media, LLC
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/5QwXAJWY
Website: http://www.suntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81
Author: Frank Main

TAKING A PUFF OUT OF CRIME

Narcotics Offenders in Treatment Programs Funded by Medicaid and the 
Affordable Care Act Could Double to 12,000 a Year Under State's 
Attorney Anita Alvarez's Policy to Reduce Pot Prosecutions

Shoplifting and other petty crime associated with narcotics abuse 
could decrease because of Cook County State's Attorney Anita 
Alvarez's new policy to stop prosecuting minor drug cases, according 
to her office and the head of a large drug treatment referral agency.

Under the policy announced last week, Alvarez's office will no longer 
prosecute most misdemeanor marijuana cases and will send nonviolent 
offenders charged with low-level felony heroin, marijuana and cocaine 
possession to drug treatment instead of jail.

Pam Rodriguez, CEO of Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities 
Inc., said the expanded treatment could keep more people from turning 
back to drugs and committing property crimes to feed their habits.

"Everything I have read says crime will not go up - it will stay the 
same or go down because of this," she said.

Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for Alvarez, agreed, saying that driving 
down retail theft, burglary and other property crime is one of the 
long-term goals of the policy.

Rodriguez said her employees met with Alvarez's staff Thursday to 
discuss their expanding role under the policy. TASC places people in 
drug-rehab programs and monitors their progress.

Rodriguez said she believes the number of narcotics offenders 
diverted to "drug school" or community-based treatment could double 
to more than 12,000 a year because of the policy. Alvarez says 
Medicaid and the Affordable Health Care Act will pay for the 
additional treatment.

Alvarez is getting ready to send a memo to prosecutors outlining how 
they are supposed to carry out the policy. Daly said drug-case 
dismissals will begin "soon," possibly as early as next week.

Alvarez's office has been meeting with judges and the public 
defender's office and plans to reach out to suburban police chiefs, Daly said.

About half of the people TASC assists have a primary substance abuse 
problem involving marijuana, Rodriguez said.

"Their treatment is very much focused on behavioral change and self- 
management," she said. But heroin is a huge problem, too. "We have 
one of the longest lasting love affairs with heroin addiction in Cook 
County and Chicago," Rodriguez said. For heroin users, "we have 
medications to treat the addiction and there are effective behavioral 
interventions."

In 2011, 259 people out of every 100,000 people in Chicago visited 
emergency rooms for heroin use, compared with 145 per 100,000 in New 
York City, according to the latest federal statistics. Cook County 
Commissioner Larry Suffredin is scheduled to oversee a hearing this 
week on ways to curb heroin abuse in Cook County.
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