Monday, August 08, 2005

Quarter of Prop. 36 drug offenders complete treatment, UCLA finds (California) AP story at the Mercury News - "About a quarter of drug offenders diverted from prison completed their alternative treatment under a program approved by California voters nearly five years ago, with results similar to other treatment programs, according to a UCLA study released Monday. The results of the third year of independent tracking of offenders sentenced under Proposition 36 came as lawmakers debate renewing funding for the program and whether to allow judges to incarcerate offenders who refuse treatment or keep abusing drugs. Proposition 36, approved by 61 percent of voters in November 2000, requires that first-and second-time nonviolent drug offenders be sent to treatment programs instead of prison."