State desperately needs meth treatment facility
|
With our Meth Offender Registry, coupled with our ban on large purchases of ephedrine and pseudophedrine, we arguably have the toughest laws in the country. We?ve been recognized nationally by the White House, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the U.S. Attorney General, and many states have used our tough new laws as blueprints for their own legislation. Rather than basking in these achievements, it is the responsibility of the Tennessee General Assembly to take the fight to the next level.
Due to the rapidity of a meth addiction, it is as destructive as crack cocaine and heroin, but works on a much faster timeline. Meaningful intervention in the early stages of any addiction is critical. Currently, the State Department of Corrections lacks the tools necessary to provide first-time, non-violent users of dangerous drugs an alternative to being jailed with hardened, more experienced users. Too often a fledging meth or crack user will be housed with traditional inmates where they only learn more efficient ways to manufacture or use drugs and elude law enforcement.
House Bill 2927, also known as the Centralized Methamphetamine Treatment Facility Act of 2006, has been introduced this year to address this critical need. HB 2927 calls for the construction of a minimum-security facility with 150 beds that will be centrally located in the state, and whose sole purpose will be to offer, at a judge?s discretion, an opportunity for an alternative sentence that can eventually lead to full judicial diversion of any criminal record.
The legislation calls for a 90-day program to be authored and implemented by the Department of Corrections. Health care professionals, Department of Corrections? personnel, and clinical and rehabilitative professionals will provide treatment. Designed for non-violent, first-time offenders, this program will remove a defendant from a traditional jail environment and utilize counseling, peers and health professionals to address and overcome substance abuse problems.
Upon successful completion of the program, a defendant could be subject to 1-2 years of probation which includes drug testing and follow-up counseling. At the end of the probation period, the defendant could qualify to have their criminal record expunged, therefore ensuring they have a bona fide chance of becoming a productive citizen.
Without proper treatment and intervention, the recidivism rate among hard drug users is staggering ? as high as 95 percent with meth. Placing offenders in traditional jails will do little, if nothing, to reduce this rate. With proper treatment and intervention, however, it is possible to reduce that recidivism rate to as low as 20 percent.
The Centralized Methamphetamine Treatment Facility Act of 2006 will be a valuable asset to the Department of Corrections in reducing our state?s prison population by reducing the recidivism rate of drug users. The ripple effects of turning each individual around is substantial. Families will stay together, jobs will be kept and we will generally help enable an individual to become a productive member of society.
The daily cost for an inmate at this facility is about $25 a day higher than a standard inmate, due to the specialized clinical and rehabilitative services needed. This legislation would propose that each defendant qualifying for and receiving this alternative sentence would pay the difference, about $2,300. This makes the overall program revenue neutral to the state not only in immediate dollars, but in long-term savings with regards to less crime and disciplined, healthier citizens. The value of families remaining intact is incalculable.
Please contact your state representative and senator and ask them to support SB 2927 / SB 3096. This is a well-conceived piece of legislation which can be responsibly funded and is earnestly needed.
Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma, represents a portion of Warren County.