Ky. Shifts Focus to Treatment January 22, 2004
News Summary
Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher plans to put more emphasis on drug treatment by expanding the state's treatment resources, opening more drug courts, and reducing the number of nonviolent drug offenders in prison, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported Jan. 20.Lawmakers and treatment advocates applauded Fletcher's plan, which was recently presented to the Kentucky Senate Judiciary Committee.
Corrections Commissioner John Reese said treatment for nonviolent drug offenders would be cheaper and more effective than prison.
Treatment costs about $5,000 a year, much less than the annual cost of $17,200 per inmate.
"I believe that if we have to take money from somewhere else and put it in treatment, we'll have to do that," said Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, who is also Fletcher's justice secretary.
Treatment officials said expanding the state's 14 regional community programs is long overdue. About 348,000 people in the state are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. However, only 22,000 people were able to receive treatment last year, according to Kentucky's Health and Family Services Cabinet.
"We're pretty busy trying to Band-Aid the system and deal with the lines of people at the door," said Karyn Hascal, acting director of the state Division of Substance Abuse.
Fletcher's plan also calls for expanding the state's drug courts. Currently, drug courts are operating in Jefferson and several other counties.
The governor also plans a comprehensive review of the state's drug problem and the resources available to address it.
Among the state's current drug problems are a growing presence of cocaine in urban areas, OxyContin and other prescription drugs in eastern Kentucky, and methamphetamine in western Kentucky.
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