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July 25, 2007 |
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Senate Republicans
Propose Zeroing Out Funding for
Voter-Enacted Drug Treatment Program
Prop. 36 Saves State $2.50 Per
$1 Invested; Plan Would Shift Cost
to Counties, Though Savings Accrue
to State
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| Contact:
Dave Fratello (310) 394-2952 or Margaret
Dooley (858) 336-3685 |
SACRAMENTO, July 25 –
Senate Republicans today proposed ending
state funding for drug treatment under
Proposition 36—California’s
treatment-instead-of-incarceration law
approved by 61% of voters in 2000—even
though the program saves $2.50 for every
$1 invested in it. Advocates criticize
the Senate Republicans for attempting
to override the will of the voters in
back-room budget dealing.
Margaret Dooley, Prop.
36 Coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance,
said, “The proposal sadly illustrates
that Senate Republicans’ distaste
for drug treatment outweighs their interest
in fiscally responsible policies. In just
six years, Prop. 36 has saved nearly $1.8
billion and graduated over 70,000 people—who
are no longer clogging jails and prisons.
De-funding this treatment alternative
now would be the height of fiscal irresponsibility.”
According to state-contracted
research at UCLA, Prop. 36 saves $2.50
for every $1.00 invested. UCLA also found
that the vast majority of these savings—93%—are
generated at the state level. The GOP
wants to shift the fiscal burden to counties,
writing in their proposal, “To the
extent counties believe this is a worthwhile
effort, they can pay for it.”
Ms. Dooley continued,
“Prop. 36 is not only a voter mandate,
it’s a state program because the
state gets most of the benefit.”
The GOP proposal attempts
token support for treatment by proposing
a $60 million funding increase for “drug
courts,” another treatment diversion
program.
Dave Fratello, a co-author
of Prop. 36, countered, “Boosting
funding for drug courts is a fig leaf
on a GOP plan to end a popular, voter-approved
treatment program. The reality is that
drug courts cannot absorb that money so
quickly. There are not enough trained
drug court judges, and many counties do
not even have drug courts set up.”
Adding that the proposal
threatens federal matching funds, Mr.
Fratello continued, “They’re
talking about a net reduction of $85 million
from the amount spent on treatment for
drug offenders last year. If this is approved,
federal matching grants would be cut by
the same amount next year, and by half
that amount the following year. So this
shortsighted GOP plan to save $60 million
will actually cost California over $120
million in federal funding in just two
years, decimating treatment services statewide.”
Proposition
36 Fact Sheet
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