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| New drug law takes effect |
| By Kansas State Collegian |
| Published: 11/17/2003 |
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A new Kansas law has officials hoping to solve the problems of the overcrowding prisons and alleviate pains of state budget cuts -- all with the help of drug offenders. The law, which took effect Nov. 1, requires treatment instead of prison time for some drug offenders, namely those individuals who were convicted of drug possession but have no history of violence, said Patricia Biggs, executive director of the Kansas Sentencing Commission. "This leaves them in the community, but it does not leave them in the community unaided," Biggs said. However, Capt. Allan Collins, head of the Riley County Police Department corrections department, said there are very limited treatment centers around the Manhattan area -- which could be a problem. Collins, in fact, said he doesn't agree with putting drug offenders in prison or providing treatment to them. "I don't know that locking people up at $20,000 a year for smoking dope is the answer, but I don't think that putting people in treatment that aren't ready for treatment is the answer either," Collins said. "You have to be ready to change, and when you're ready to change, you don't need treatment anyhow." All drug offenders that committed offenses on or after July 1 and were sentenced on or after Nov. 1 qualify for the new law. Biggs said one of the main reasons state officials decided to put the law into effect was due to the overcrowding in many state prisons. Officials decided to focus on treating drug offenders, similar to some California and Arizona laws. Collins said the Riley County Jail book about 300 people a month, and more than half have some type of connection to a drug offense. Another reason for the new law, Biggs said, is related to cost due to state budget cuts. Â Biggs said it typically costs $20,000 annually to keep an offender in prison. Treatment, depending on length and type, would cost about $4,200 to $6,000 a year. In Riley County, Collins said it costs $55 a day to keep a person in jail. Out-patient treatment may be more affordable, he said, however if the offender were to check into a treatment center, the costs could be much more. All drug offenders must be treated at a center that is not only certified by the state, but also includes a license from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Funding for the new law has been put in place for one year, with a majority going toward treatment and a portion going to community correctional facilities. But Biggs hopes this year will be the first -- not last -- for the new law. |
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