BRUNO: SENATE PLAN TO HELP ADDICTS ON "ROAD TO RECOVERY"

$20 Million Budget Funding for Treatment Before, During and After Prison

Wednesday, March 14, 2001

Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno and members of the Senate Majority today unveiled a sweeping, $20 million plan to create and expand treatment options to help drug- and alcohol-addicted felony offenders turn from their lives of crime.

The key highlight of the Senate Majority's "Road to Recovery" program includes funding for a statewide "use-it-or-lose-it" treatment alternative that is modeled on proven existing programs that allow non-violent felony offenders -- usually those sentenced for drug-related crimes -- to avoid prison time if they successfully complete a mandatory program of intensive rehabilitation.

Additionally, the plan calls for more treatment beds for incarcerated felons, higher funding for treatment services before and after prison release, and training and job placement assistance to help addicts rejoin society.

"Substance abuse is a demon that leads to deeper and deeper criminal behavior, breeds violence and destroys lives," said Senator Bruno (R-C, Brunswick). "This plan aims to avoid compounding the tragedy of substance abuse and help addicts break the grip of drugs and alcohol so that they can trade their criminal careers to become productive members of society."

"New York is already a leader in providing substance abuse services to addicts and alcoholics to help them improve their lives," said Senator Patricia K. McGee (R-C, Franklinville), chairwoman of the Senate's Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Committee. "The Senate's 'Road to Recovery' program couples responsibility with a helping hand to let criminal addicts rebuild their lives and prevent them from cycling in and out of prisons for crimes they commit to support their habits."

"Road to Recovery" builds on a series of existing, successful state substance abuse initiatives. The plan would enlarge the Alcohol and Substance Abuse (ASAT) programs operated by the Department of Correctional Services, and create regional treatment programs based on the Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes (TASC) program, an original Senate initiative that has helped hundreds of former addicts, and the district attorney-based Drug Treatment Alternatives to Prisons (DTAP) program.

"By offering treatment as an alternative to incarceration, we can not only have a positive impact on the lives of these low-level, nonviolent offenders, but also reserve more of our scarce prison space for the most dangerous felons," said Senator Michael F. Nozzolio (R-C, Fayette), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections. "This is an investment that will help save taxpayer money."

Treatment Alternatives to Prison

The key highlight of the Senate Majority plan is the creation of regional mandated drug treatment alternatives to prison.

The plan would allow courts and district attorneys to require nonviolent felons to join a drug treatment program as an alternative to serving prison time. If they fail to complete the program, or are found through random testing to have relapsed, they face immediate return to prison to complete their original sentence.

Coerced treatment programs like TASC and DTAP capitalize on the state's mandatory minimum sentences by tying an inmate's participation to the threat of imprisonment for relapse or other violation of the program's rules.

"By dangling the promise of 'no prison,' but always keeping that option open, coerced drug treatment programs have proven to be a cost-effective and successful way of ending dependency and short-circuiting budding careers of low-level criminals," said Senate Codes Committee Chairman Dale M. Volker (R-C, Depew). "Felons eligible for the treatment alternative program are faced with a choice to use it or lose it."

One such program, administered by Long Island-based EAC, the state's largest coordinator of treatment services in criminal justice cases that operates programs in Nassau, Suffolk and Rockland Counties, as well as in New York City, boasts a success rate as high as 85 percent.

"Road to Recovery" includes up to $5 million to fund residential and outpatient treatment -- ranging from 18 to 24 months, and additional funding of $3.5 million for case management to ensure compliance with the program's rules, identify offenders and cover the cost of administration.

An additional $2 million would create regional drug treatment alternatives to prison programs and fund screenings for suspects to determine their eligibility.

Expanded Treatment for Inmates and Parolees

The initiative also includes $6 million to expand treatment and counseling services for post-release residential and outpatient treatment.

Included in that funding is $1 million to expand DOCS-run ASAT programs throughout the state for convicted felons in need of residential drug treatment. ASAT provides intensive, 120-day drug and alcohol abuse counseling to inmates throughout the system.

To assist post-release, formerly substance abusing offenders with job training and placement, "Road to Recovery" includes another $3.5 million to further assist in their social reintegration.

Additional funding is included for the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services staff to oversee and evaluate the program.

Taken together, the program will enable more than 800 offenders to receive intensive treatment, and result in $15 million in savings to the state by reducing the need and expense of incarceration.

The "Road to Recovery" initiative will be included in the Senate's budget resolution next week.

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