PROMISING DRUG TREATMENT PLAN

Judith Kaye, New York's chief judge, has long been an advocate of
getting treatment for drug-addicted criminals as an alternative to
putting them in prison. And with good reason: Numerous studies have
shown that drug treatment is not only less expensive than
incarceration, but far more effective in reducing crime.

In a move likely to have repercussions throughout the land, Kaye took
the extraordinary step Thursday of ordering nearly all nonviolent,
drug-addicted criminals to be offered drug treatment instead of jail.
The treatment will last two years, followed by strict monitoring,
including drug tests. Anyone relapsing will be sent to jail to serve
their full sentence.

The deal won't be offered to addicts who commit violent crimes, which
is a reasonable restriction; or to violators of the so-called
Rockefeller drug laws - dealers and people caught possessing large
amounts of drugs. That's not entirely reasonable, because these laws
are too rigid, sometimes sending people who've sold relatively small
quantities of drugs - simply to support habits - to prison for decades.

Kaye's order, which must be fully implemented by 2003, will divert up
to 10,000 criminals a year, slightly more than 10 percent of the state
prison population. That will reduce prison overcrowding as well as
pressure to build costly new prisons.

Kaye estimates the plan will save the state $500 million a year in
prison, foster care and mental health costs. And with a success rate
of around 70 percent for those getting court-ordered drug treatment,
the number of repeat offenders can be expected to drop dramatically -
from about 62 percent currently to roughly 25 percent.

That's a big dent in crimes like burglary and prostitution frequently
committed by addicts to raise drug money.