Florida lawmakers are considering a plan to cut up to $40 million from the state's drug-treatment budget, a move that advocates say would devastate both programs and patients, the Miami Herald reported March 24.

Facing a budget shortfall that could reach $9 billion, lawmakers may have to make deep spending cuts to the state corrections, children & families, and juvenile-justice departments. The result could be tens of thousands of people with alcohol and other drug problems being denied addiction treatment.

For example, $30 million in proposed cuts at the Florida Department of Corrections could eliminate all addiction treatment for prisoners and probationers, according to an agency spokesperson. Similarly, an $11-million cut proposed for the Department of Children & Families could kill off a treatment program for parents at risk of losing their children. Youth drug courts also are at risk.

"This would literally wipe out drug treatment both in the community and in prison,'' said Pam Denmark, deputy assistant secretary of the state corrections department. "We don't want to lose [the programs]. We know that they work."

"This is going to be pretty severe," added Broward Circuit Judge Marcia Beach, who oversees drug courts in Fort Lauderdale. "Without addiction treatment, we better be ready to build more jails and prisons. This is turning the clock back."

The Florida Department of Corrections already eliminated 525 treatment beds last year, with 1,755 beds now remaining. The department also contracts to provide an additional 9,680 outpatient treatment slots. DOC Secretary Walter McNeil recently told lawmakers that eliminating addiction treatment would "compromise public safety."