Governor Wants Funding Cut for Prop 36 Drug Rehab Program

By Kenny Goldberg / Health Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published April 2, 2007 at 1:27 PM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

Governor Schwarzenegger wants to cut funding for Prop 36, the program that allows non-violent drug offenders to get treatment instead of jail. Researchers say that could cripple the program. Voters ap

Governor Schwarzenegger wants to cut funding for Prop 36, the program that allows non-violent drug offenders to get treatment instead of jail. Researchers say that could cripple the program. Voters approved Prop 36 in 2000. KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.

The governor wants to add tougher penalties to Prop 36 to induce more offenders to complete treatment. Prop 36 supporters have filed a lawsuit blocking the move. In response, Governor Schwarzenegger wants to cut state funding for the program. UCLA researcher Angela Hawken says the current funding levels aren't enough to get most offenders proper treatment.

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Hawken : For example, many Spanish speaking offenders often don't have access to Spanish speaking treatment providers. Now people who don't speak three words of English are not going to have good treatment outcomes if they can't understand people who are delivering treatment services to them.

Hawken says there's also not enough money for proper supervision of offenders. More than a quarter of those sentenced under Prop 36 fail to show up for treatment.

Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.