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| Drug reform program faces major cuts |
| By St. Louis Tribune |
| Published: 01/30/2009 |
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UTAH - The tens of millions of dollars Utah invested to reform drug offenders might not save nearly as much cash in the long run as lawmakers were told. Early evidence shows that the Drug Offender Reform Act (DORA) has not reduced criminal behavior, and cost savings have not been realized, according to a newly released legislative audit. It remains unknown whether Utah will ever see an anticipated $838 million savings over a 10-year period, the audit said. Utah taxpayers pump about $8 million a year into DORA -- a program intended to lower future incarceration costs and other crime expenses by treating select felons for drug abuse and increasing community supervision. But in a consolidated response to the sometimes sharp words in the legislative audit, three state agencies wrote that DORA is merely experiencing the same difficulties inherent in implementing any sweeping policy reform. The response letter -- signed by the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services and Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice -- said DORA was only half-funded and therefore should not have been expected to save the $838 million originally presented. Plus, much of those touted savings were expected to come from reduced costs to victims, not lower government spending, the letter said. DORA was commissioned as a three-year pilot program in 2005, but lawmakers expanded it statewide before progress reports were released. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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