DRUG-OFFENDER DIVERSION CALLED COST-EFFECTIVE

The state saves more than twice the amount of money that it spends on
non-violent drug offenders who are sentenced to treatment rather than
prison, according to a new study.

The report by UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human
Behavior found that taxpayers saved nearly $2.50 for every dollar
invested in drug treatment in the first 30 months since
implementation of a 2000 law allowing drug treatment as an
alternative to imprisonment. Savings further increased if offenders
actually completed their programs, according to the study that was to
be released Wednesday.

The total savings in the first 30 months was more than $173 million,
said researchers, who factored in money saved from such areas as
housing inmates, probation, parole, re-arrests and future court fees.

Proposition 36 -- the so-called Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention
Act -- allocates $120 million per year for non-violent first- and
second-time offenders to enroll in drug treatment programs.

The study also recommended improvements to the program to boost
effectiveness, such as greater collaboration between state and local
governments, better monitoring of offenders after treatment and
improved screening methods to determine who is eligible.