As a 35-year veteran of law enforcement I know both the healing power of substance abuse treatment and the danger of releasing those from jail or prison whose untreated addictions drive them to hurt themselves and others with alarming regularity.
California once used proven drug courts to require treatment for many involved in the criminal justice system for non-violent offenses, which saved money, lives and protected communities. Authoritative studies show you can save up to $7 for every dollar invested in drug treatment. But as a retired deputy sheriff I know first-hand that those savings require making sure people actually agree to seek — and stay in — treatment programs.
Before Prop. 47 passed in 2014 judges could give non-violent individuals the chance to avoid prison or jail by successfully completing treatment. But in the years after Prop. 47 passed, participation in drug courts immediately dropped by over two-thirds — and participation rates have never recovered. The costs and consequences of taking away mandatory treatment are now clear. That’s why there has been a bipartisan surge of support for Prop. 36 on the November ballot — because it brings back common-sense and compassionate tools we need to save lives and protect communities.