Legislature(2003 - 2004)
04/06/2004 03:40 PM Senate STA
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HCR 29-SUPPORT THERAPEUTIC COURTS am
CHAIR GARY STEVENS announced HCR 29 to be up for consideration.
JON BITTNER, staff to Representative Cheryll Heinze, explained
that alcoholism in Alaska is a serious problem and one of the
ways to combat it is through the therapeutic court system.
Therapeutic courts have a proven success rate and are
significantly cheaper for the state.
REPRESENTATIVE CHERYLL HEINZE, sponsor, added that the daily
cost of the wellness court program is about $22 per day or about
$11,000 over an 18 month period. In comparison, the average cost
of traditional incarceration is $113 per day. That's a
difference of $50,000 per offender.
Currently the largest supplier of mental health treatment in the
country is the correctional system. This is expensive and
ineffective. People with substance abuse problems aren't helped
when they are locked away without any treatment options. When
released from prison, those people are simply dried drunks. The
addiction has not been addressed and it's likely that those
individuals will re-offend as a result of their addiction.
She pointed out that the recidivism rate for incarcerated
alcohol and drug abusers is around 67 percent nationwide while
the recidivism rate for wellness court is around 25 percent. The
disparity in the success rate is attributed to the use of
Naltrexone, a drug that inhibits alcohol cravings, coupled with
community based treatment programs and cognitive behavioral
therapy. To treat someone with an addiction, you must treat the
cause, she said.
HCR 29 am asks that the Legislature show its support for
therapeutic courts, particularly in regard to crimes related to
driving under the influence. (DUI). It asks the Department of
Law and the Public Defender agency to actively participate in
the startup of therapeutic courts in areas with high incidents
of DUI offenses and strong local support. "Therapeutic courts
are effective, they're inexpensive, and they work," she said.
CHAIR GARY STEVENS asked for a brief description of what happens
in a therapeutic court for alcohol abuse.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE explained that the program is voluntary.
The individual must agree to participate and to take the drug
Naltrexone and to maintain contact with and report back to the
court.
SENATOR BERT STEDMAN asked if this is for first time or multiple
offenders and noted that after three DUIs you lose your driving
privilege so it's too late.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE replied it's for repeat offenders and
although it may be too late for the person to drive it's not too
late for them as a person.
SENATOR STEDMAN asked for assurance that this wouldn't take the
teeth out of the DUI laws.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE assured him it would not.
SENATOR JOHN COWDERY asked whether she believes that
incarceration has an effect on an alcoholic.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE opined it exacerbates the problem.
CHAIR GARY STEVENS said a person in the therapeutic court system
might live at home and maintain their job as compared with the
individual that is incarcerated and isolated from family and
society.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE agreed. An individual that is under the
auspices of the therapeutic court is able to be a productive
citizen over the course of the 18 month program.
SENATOR COWDERY asked if the individual takes Naltrexone for
four months.
4:40 p.m.
Senator Guess joined the meeting.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE replied the program is 18 months, but
she'd get back to him with regard to how long participants take
Naltrexone.
SENATOR COWDERY asked why the participants don't pay all costs
rather than just a portion.
REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE didn't have an answer.
SENATOR COWDERY recounted an anecdotal story.
CHAIR GARY STEVENS noted that the fiscal note is from the court
system indicating no fiscal impact.
There being no further questions, he asked for a motion.
SENATOR STEDMAN made a motion to move HCR 29 am from committee
with attached fiscal notes and individual recommendations. There
being no objection, it was so ordered.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|