Posted on 04/01/2007 7:52:09 AM PDT by shrinkermd
With offenders failing to enroll in or complete treatment, the initiative is a 'get out of jail free' card, critics say.
The most comprehensive assessment of California's landmark effort to treat drug users rather than jail them has found that nearly half of offenders sentenced under the program fail to complete rehab and more than a quarter never show up for treatment.
The high failure rates have prompted a growing number of critics to call for jail sanctions for defendants they say take advantage of the program's lack of penalties.
Voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36 in November 2000. Under the program, most people convicted of drug possession get three chances to complete rehab and kick their addictions before a judge can send them to prison.
To date, the initiative has cost California more than $600 million. By diverting thousands of nonviolent drug offenders from lockups, the measure has reduced the burden on prisons and saved the state $2.50 for every $1 spent, according to UCLA's study of Proposition 36
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Gee---- Imagine taking the word of a DRUG USER when they are facing jail time.
The new standard in naive!!!!
This is easy. Send them all to San Franfrico and let them handle them. They are so liberal there that they will, most likely, elect them to office.
Seven years into the program?!
It's only critical because The Terminator is threatening to terminate your funding for this boondoggle which has been a failure from day one.
Where does is say anything was decriminalized?
Our Prop. 36 program (rural county) has been highly successful. I believe success is about 70%. It may not work where there is a high migrant/gang population, but it does seem to work where the population remains resident.
Just for the record, in case there is any doubt, I laughed when this was proposed.
I voted against it and still wonder at the low level of common sense in the California voter.
Hydrogen and stupidity...
The effect of the law as proposed (and experienced) was identical to three "get out of jail free" cards.
Perhaps not "decriminalization", but that's a distinction without a difference.
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