Restoring Funds for Drug Treatment

By Finn Kavanagh
Director, Phoenix House in Florida

The following editorial was published in the Miami Herald on December 8, 2003.

When it comes to drug-abusing criminals, the smart money is on treatment-treatment in prison for violent criminals and treatment in the community for non-violent offenders. This prescription saves money, cuts crime and creates social benefits and savings across the board.

So, it's not surprising that Governor Jeb Bush and James Crosby, his secretary of corrections, now plan to put back into the state budget the funds for court-ordered residential treatment in the community that have been cut over the past few years. All Floridians should support this move.

When a drug offender stands before a Judge, there are generally three options: The Judge can cut the offender loose on probation; send the offender to prison: or sentence the offender to residential treatment under threat of more dire sanctions for failure to comply.

• Cutting them loose can be a socially and fiscally costly option, because untamed addiction in the community ups the price of law enforcement, health care, welfare, foster care, and a host of other social services, while increasing crime and social disorder.
• Packing offenders off to prison is often appropriate, because public safety demands that violent offenders be incarcerated. But incarcerating nonviolent offenders drains public resources by filling high-price prison beds better used for dangerous criminals.
• Ensuring that nonviolent drug offenders complete substance abuse treatment preserves prison beds for violent offenders, saves Florida the cost of increasing the prison population, and produces impressive long-term outcomes for public safety. Treatment is not just a cost, but a wise investment, and the data supports this.

National Institute of Justice findings show a substantial increase in Florida offenders who completed probation as a direct result of residential substance abuse treatment. The Florida Department of Corrections reported in 2000 that only about 25% of those who complete treatment completers return to the correctional system. Jim McDonough, drug-control policy director and the architect of Florida's comprehensive drug-control strategy, cites data showing that $1 spent on treatment generally yields a savings of $7. Treatment works.

Crosby, who is responsible for the safety of Floridians, embraces the value of treatment. He understands that the Department of Corrections is accountable for the condition of those they return to our communities. His proposal to restore treatment enjoys the support of the Governor and deserves the same support of the legislature.