Statewide Drug Treatment Program for Felons Underway

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) A statewide drug treatment program for felons is now underway in Utah. As of July 1st, state law requires convicted felons to participate in a drug screening and assessment program. Utah Division of Substance Abuse Assistant Director Brent Kelsey says the point is to stop "the revolving door of the justice system."

"More and more people are getting involved with drugs and alcohol and are getting arrested," says Kelsey. "If we can provide services in coordinated effort with the courts, substance abuse treatment and law enforcement, we can have better outcomes."

Approximately 85 percent of Utah's prison population has substance abuse problems related to their criminal behavior. But only 25 percent of inmates that need treatment can receive it due to limited resources.

Utah's new Drug Offender Reform Act (DORA) divides nine million dollars a year between the Department of Corrections and the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to create new treatment slots and monitor offenders in the program.

Every offender is required to enter the DORA screening program, but it's up to a judge to determine if the individual is a good candidate for treatment rather prison or other sentencing options. Kelsey says DORA does not give offenders with drug problems a way out of punishment:

"The reality is that most low-level drug offenders in Utah aren't going to prison now," says Kelsey. "What we're trying to do with the Drug Offender Reform Act is provide smarter sentencing. In terms of having a criminal record or being on probation - the Drug Offender Reform Act doesn't change any of that."

Kelsey says a judge still has absolute discretion to sentence a dangerous offender to prison. State lawmakers funded a two-year pilot program of DORA in Salt Lake County before this year expanding it to the rest of the state's court system.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom, Legislative Coverage, and 2007 Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2008 KCPW