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January 15, 2006
IL: Governor Proposes Meth Treatment Units and Prisons for people with drug convictions
Governor wants to add meth treatment units at 2 prisons
By Chris Lusvardi 1-15-06
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich would like to add methamphetamine treatment units at two Illinois prisons.
He plans to announce details of the proposal in his State of the State address Wednesday.
The governor’s plan would create meth treatment units at East St. Louis’ Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center and Sheridan Correctional Center. Each unit would have 200 beds. The Southwestern unit would open in July, with the Sheridan unit in July 2007.
Southwestern, which is currently a minimum security facility, would at some point in the future become a fully dedicated drug prison and re-entry program. Blagojevich also plans to expand Sheridan, currently the state’s only prison dedicated fully to drug treatment, from 950 inmates to its capacity of 1,300.
“The governor recognizes meth is a serious problem, particularly to downstate communities,” said Abby Ottenhoff, the governor’s spokeswoman. “Meth is one of the fastest growing threats to communities all over the state.”
In 1996, six people were imprisoned on meth-related crimes in Illinois. Now, that number has jumped to about 800 inmates.
Inmates voluntarily would participate in the program, most likely in the last six months to two years of their sentence, Ottenhoff said. Those involved in the program would also receive vocational training, education and closely supervised community reentry.
The program would cost the state $1.9 million in the first year with the federal government providing $4.78 million. In the second year, Illinois would spend $16.4 million with a federal contribution of more than $1.8 million.
Following the two-year startup, the state’s annual cost for running the methamphetamine treatment programs would be $18.1 million.
“We want to make sure we’re not putting people back onto the street who are going to commit crimes,” Ottenhoff said.
Participants in the existing Sheridan drug treatment program have a 50 percent lower chance of returning person over the average inmate, said Deanne Benos, assistant director for the Illinois Department of Corrections.
http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2006/01/15/news/state/doc43c9d43ff24fd196904740.txt
Posted by lois at January 15, 2006 09:10 PM