Addiction Treatment

IN THIS ISSUE Ignoma Foundation reaches out to those left behind Baltimore City residents share experience and wisdom on criminal justice Drug Policy Alliance fighting ban on Salvia in Maryland Freedom Advocates Celebrating Ex-offenders: Helping formerly incarcerated individuals reach their future potential Reforming parole and probation in Maryland could save the state milliions, says new research. PARTNERS AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF MARYLAND AMERICANS FOR SAFE ACCESS CAMPAIGN FOR CLEAN AIR AND POLITICS CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY FOUNDATION DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE DRUG REFORM COALITION NETWORK INTERFAITH DRUG POLICY INITIATIVE JUSTICE MARYLAND JUSTICE POLICY INSTITUTE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST PROHIBITION MARYLAND NOW NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN DRUG POLICY COALITION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE OF MARYLAND POWER INSIDE STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY-UMD newsQUOTABLES "When I finally got caught, I told the probation officer, 'I'm not a criminal, I'm an addict and I need some help! I don't believe me going to prison is going to solve my problem. If I go to prison, when I come out I will have even more reason to get high and never get help for my addictions." -Marlo Hargrove, in Bearing Witness. NewsNotes Issue VI: Spring 2009 Welcome to NewsNotes, the quarterly newsletter of The Partnership for Treatment Not Incarceration. This issue contains the latest information involving sentencing reform, public health and harm reduction, including actions you can take to support legislation and programs that promote alternatives to incarceration in Maryland. We welcome your input, stories and opinions. If you would like to contribute to this newsletter, please contact NewsNotes Editor LaWanda Johnson at [email protected] Sincerely, The Partnership for Treatment Not Incarceration Ignoma Foundation reaches out to those left behind As the economy struggles, unemployment increases, and many people take jobs that hardly pay a living wage, a new organization in Baltimore is reaching out to individuals whose experiences make it especially difficult for them to find a job. The Ignoma Foundation focuses its resources on people who have a particulary difficult time obtaining employment. Through intense training and leadership, Ignoma allows people who have experienced hardships that may create barriers to employment to be able to re-enter the job market with positions that lead to careers and opportunities for advancement and not dead ends. "Our target is to introduce jobs that demand a skill base," said Paulo Harris, director of the Ignoma Foundation. "We're focusing on arts-related employment--things that are produced and created-and positions with a career ladder instead of a minimum wage with no opportunity for development." In order to prepare people for skilled employment, the Foundation has developed an eight-week, multi-faceted program that helps participants assess their personal strengths. Ignoma then uses an "asset-based approach" where each person is encouraged to take inventory of their lives, including personal relationships, the challenges they face, their attitudes and the skills they feel they need to enhance. As their skills development, groups of at least three participants are placed at workshop sites. Harris believes the group dynamics encourage employers to develop ways to engage the participants and hone in on their unique skill sets. "When you're in poverty, you have to develop a whole set of strategies for survival that you don't have to develop if you're not a poor person," explained Harris. "Ancillary skills that you get from the drug trade are business skills, but they don't follow traditional patterns--they have a more creative, problem-solving approach." While the Ignoma Foundation primarily focuses on individual professional growth, Harris feels that the program will add to community sustainability as well. "We look at poor communities in isolation of the society as a whole, and that creates an unsustainable community. If you go into [these neighborhoods], there are no locally-owned businesses [or structures] for, say, retail, in those environments," said Harris."Once we've completed the apprenticeship program and built a core group of individuals in manufacturing jobs, we hope to build a plant in East Baltimore and get people to work there, reversing the disappearance of resources and putting them back in the community." To develop job training and employment programs, the Ignoma Foundation has established partnerships with other organizations in the area, such as Genesis Jobs, which is part of Goodwill Industries, and STRIVE Baltimore. The foundation is also looking to identify other opportunities to expand their work program through similar partnerships with small businesses and creative industries. For more information about the Ignoma Foundation contact Paulo Harris at [email protected]. Baltimore City residents share experience and wisdom on criminal justice Teens spending their free time comforting parents who have lost their own children to violence; a woman fighting to break the cycle of addiction while trying to keep her family together; a man struggling to keep his job while trying to comply with parole reporting requirements; a formerly incarcerated single mother making her daughter proud by getting her degree; and a woman grappling with the murder of her son and forgiving his assailant. These are some of the people who share their experiences in a new report, "Bearing Witness: Baltimore City's residents give voice to what's needed to fix the criminal justice system," supported by the Open Society Institute. Bearing Witness lays bare the facts around crime and punishment in Maryland's largest city, while shining a light on the hope and resiliency of those most affected by decades of failed policies. Compared to the rest of Maryland, Baltimore City faces a concentrated impact of the criminal justice system. Although home to roughly 600,000 people, in 2006 the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center processed nearly 100,000 arrests and detained 44,825 individuals. In 2008, 61 percent of newly-incarcerated people in Maryland prisons were from Baltimore City. This intense involvement has taken its toll over the years on people, families, and neighborhoods. Drug Policy Alliance fighting ban on Salvia in Maryland The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is fighting to prevent Maryland Senate Bill 9 from becoming a reality. The bill looks to classify Salvia divinorum, a hallucinogenic herb currently legal in Maryland, as a Schedule I substance, imposing misdemeanor and felony penalties including prison terms up to 20 years for selling the herb. Recent studies indicate that Salvia may be useful in treating addiction, chronic pain, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, many policymakers and law enforcement officers are concerned by the ease with which recreational users can get Salvia, describing a trend of young people buying the herb on the boardwalk in Ocean City and then coming into contact with law enforcement while under the influence. DPA warns that banning Salvia will not prevent these young people from using it, and has the potential to drive usage underground. Currently, according to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, Senate Bill 9 has not moved out of committee, and its counterpart, House Bill 8 has received an unfavorable report and is unlikely to be voted on before the legislature adjourns on April 13. Freedom Advocates Celebrating Ex-offenders: Helping formerly incarcerated individuals reach their fullest potential Individuals that have been touched by the criminal justice system often need a support system upon their re-entry into society. Freedom Advocates Celebrating Ex-offenders (FACE) recognizes this need and is committed to improving the circumstances of formerly incarcerated men and women. Through faith-based support, re-entry prison ministries, treatment and employment training referrals, FACE provides both the setting and the tools to help people who are about to be released. "We're discovering that a lot of people are coming out [of prison] and they're discouraged, because the barriers are already set up," said Marlo Hargrove, co-founder and president of FACE. "The goal of FACE is to help people who were previously incarcerated restore, redirect and replenish their lives by referring them to reliable resources." The organization has two major goals for 2009; to develop an Offenders Anonymous group to provide a forum to discuss experiences while incarcerated and how these experiences make it difficult for individuals to re-integrate into society, and to open a structured center within the West Baltimore community. The center will be a one-stop resource center that will help people with things like transitional housing and make it easier to access a variety of other resources. Many of those involved with FACE have previously struggled with substance abuse. They hold weekly meetings to coordinate their efforts and direct those who need treatment, job training, mental health care, or help reconnecting with their families. The meetings are open to anyone who wishes to join. For more information about FACE, contact Marlo Hargrove at (410) 523-3223. Reforming parole and probation in Maryland could save the state millions, new research says A new report released this month by the Justice Policy Institute indicates that Maryland could save millions of dollars by releasing many low risk individuals onto parole--like some of the oldest members of the prison population--and by expanding parole eligibility and improving supervision. The report, The Release Valve: Parole in Maryland, notes that in 2007 the state spent approximately $1,422 per person on parole or probation, and $33,310 per person in prison. Just by paroling an additional 100 people, the report concludes, the state could potentially save approximately $3 million over the course of one year while maintaining public safety. According to Release Valve, the state has made real progress in its efforts to increase drug treatment and change some parole practices. Maryland already uses effective programs like diminution or "good-time" credits to allow people in prison to earn earlier parole, and has a policy for medical parole, but these and other proven initiatives are not being used to the fullest extent possible. However, research shows that since most people "age out" of crime, moving older people who pose little risk from prison to parole could safely result in significant savings. For example, by placing even half of the roughly 465 people in Maryland's prisons that are over the age of 60 on parole, the state could save over $13 million in the first year. The report also found that programs which focus on support and services instead of the strict supervision modality are more effective and decrease the chances a participant will return to prison. Maryland's Proactive Community Supervision project (PCS), in particular, provides tailored supervision to those in the program and participants have had fewer rearrests or drug test failures than those not in the program. Research indicates that PCS is significantly more likely to keep people out of prison than people who are released under traditional parole terms; however, to date, the state has only used PCS on a limited basis. Bringing PCS to scale would reduce the number of people returning to prison from parole, resulting in a potential savings of approximately $19 million, which includes the cost of enrolling everyone on probation or parole in PCS. The Partnership for Treatment Not Incarceration of Maryland is a state-based campaign to promote public health approaches and effective public safety strategies for nonviolent drug offenders. The Partnership supports efforts that reduce Maryland's over-reliance on incarceration by diverting nonviolent offenders from prison. Funds currently used for incarceration can then be used for community-based treatment services that have proven to be more effective at changing criminal behavior and reducing recidivism.

For Immediate Release: November 7, 2008 For more info: Gabriel Sayegh at (646) 335-2264 or Tony Newman at (646) 335-5384 Gov. Paterson Announces $8.6 Million in Cuts to Drug Treatment in Response to Budget Crisis Advocates: Gov. Paterson Should be Doing the Opposite and Expanding Cost-Effective Treatment With Democrats in Control of Senate and Assembly, Gov. Paterson Should Keep His Pledge and Reform Draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws with Treatment to Save Lives and Money Health advocates and treatment providers were shocked to learn that New York Governor Paterson is cutting $8.6 million from its substance abuse programs in response to the state's current budget crisis. "This is penny wise and pound foolish and exactly the opposite of what the governor should be doing," said Howard Josepher, President of the Exponents treatment programs. "Treatment is less expensive and more effective than the lock-them-up strategy that costs taxpayers $29,000 per person to incarcerate someone with an addiction. Treatment also offers a better opportunity to prevent recidivism" The Rockefeller Drug Laws have been a miserable failure. These draconian laws have not delivered on their promise to rid our streets of drugs or keep people from using them, but they have drained New York of hundreds of millions of dollars and destroyed tens of thousands of lives. Treatment providers, family members, policy experts and newspaper editorials have been calling for change for years but have been stifled due to Republican control of the State Senate and the lack of leadership from Governors Pataki and Spitzer. When Gov. Paterson took over there was an expectation that there might be reform of these laws as the governor has been a long-time voice for change of the laws. "The time is right to move from away from inhumane, costly and ineffective mass incarceration to a health approach to our drug problems," said Gabriel Sayegh of the Drug Policy Alliance. "The Democrats have a majority of the Senate, Assembly and the Governorship. Helping people with drug problems get community based treatment instead of jail does not cost money, it saves money. The governor is in the difficult position of needing to cut programs and costs. Reforming the drug laws is a rare win-win: you can save hundreds of millions of dollars and help keep families together."

For Immediate Release: November 3, 2008 Contact: Margaret Dooley-Sammuli at (213) 291-4190 or Tommy McDonald at (510) 229-5215 Bay Area Legislators Call Prop. 5 Much-Needed, Just-in-Time Reform Echo State Democratic Party Endorsement SAN JOSE – Bay Area legislators today announced support for Proposition 5, echoing the endorsement of the State Democratic Party. Highlighting the cost savings of treatment not incarceration programs, Assemblymembers Beall, Lieber and Leno called on voters to approve the much-needed treatment expansion and prison reform. Assemblyman Jim Beall, of San Jose, said, “By failing to directly address the problem of addiction, California has taken a one-sided, punitive and costly approach – incarceration. Little funding goes to the most cost-effective approach that stops the cycle of addiction: prevention and early intervention for our youth. In this time of economic crisis, we need an effective approach to combat the disease of addiction rather than continuing to fund an ineffective incarceration-first policy.” Assembly Member Sally Lieber, of Silicon Valley, said, “The state’s worsening prison overcrowding and ballooning budget deficits are not separate crises. They are intimately related. Until we address our failed prison policies, we will only see our budget problems increase. That’s why Prop. 5 is the right thing for California. It will usher in more effective and affordable responses to nonviolent drug offenses – and stop pouring taxpayer money down the drain of the bloated prison system.” Assembly Member Mark Leno, of San Francisco, said, “California can’t afford to kick the can down the road any longer. If we don’t address our broken prison system, it will drain our state coffers at a time when we most need to spend cautiously. For better public safety and better use of taxpayer dollars, we need real prison and sentencing reform. Prop. 5 brings that reform to California just in time – when we really can’t wait any longer.” The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office found that Prop. 5 will lower incarceration costs by $1 billion each year and save taxpayers $2.5 billion in reduced prison-construction costs. This doesn’t include savings related to reduced crime, fewer social services costs (e.g. emergency room visits, child protective services, welfare), and increased individual productivity. For more information, visit www.Prop5Yes.org. ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 29, 2008 CONTACT: Margaret Dooley-Sammuli at (213) 291-4190, Tommy McDonald at (510) 229-5215 Prison Guards Blasted in New 'Yes on 5' TV Spot CCPOA Has Spent Almost $2 million to Fight Prop. 5 Why? Overcrowded Prisons = Overtime Pay LOS ANGELES - California's prison guards union has provided most of the money lined up against Proposition 5, a drug treatment measure that would reduce prison overcrowding and forestall $2.5 billion worth of new prison construction. Today the Yes on 5 campaign struck back with a new TV spot that highlights the prison guards' contributions and their financial interest in defeating Prop. 5. Titled "Party's Over," the new Yes on 5 spot begins, "Our prisons are overcrowded. And prison guards are overjoyed!" The ad then explains that, for prison guards, overcrowding means more overtime pay. "That's why the prison guards want to stop Proposition 5, and are spending millions against it," says the ad. "Tell the prison guards the party's over. Vote Yes on 5." Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, deputy campaign manager for Yes on 5, said, "We know that California voters will be outraged to learn that the people paying for those No on 5 ads are the people who benefit the most from overcrowded prisons. Let's not forget, it is California taxpayers who shell out $10 billion a year for a broken prison system and enormous overtime pay for guards." The prison guards union, formally the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA), contributed $1 million to the official No on 5 campaign on Oct. 14, then last Friday made another $825,000 "independent expenditure" contribution of TV airtime to oppose Prop. 5. This means the prison guards have provided 75% of the money behind the $2.4 million in airtime purchased so far to oppose Prop. 5 Dooley-Sammuli added, "If you want to know why our prison system is dysfunctional, look no further than the checkbook of the CCPOA. The prison guards will fight any reform that might threaten their bottom line. It's time for the voters to stand up to the 800-pound gorilla of state politics. We can do that by voting Yes on Prop. 5." ### To view the ad: http://www.prop5yes.com/partys-over Broadcast-quality copies of the new Yes on 5 ad are available on request.

[Courtesy of DPA] For Immediate Release: October 24, 2008 Contact: Margaret Dooley-Sammuli at (213) 291-4190 or Tommy McDonald at (510) 229-5215 Prop. 5 Supporters Release New TV Ads, Focus on Youth Drug Treatment Under Prop. 5 LOS ANGELES – Supporters of Proposition 5, the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act, today unveiled two new TV spots intended to begin running statewide next week. Both Yes on 5 spots highlight the measure’s drug treatment programs for young people. If passed, Prop. 5 would provide $65 million per year to counties to make drug treatment available to at-risk youth under the age of 18. Virtually no publicly funded treatment is available now for young people. The first Yes on 5 spot, titled “Warden,” features Jeanne Woodford, former warden of San Quentin State Prison and former Director of the California Department of Corrections. Against a backdrop of images of San Quentin, she speaks of her 25 years working at the prison, where she began as a prison guard. “Let me tell you,” Woodford says, “too many of the men I dealt with started out as kids with drug problems. But California doesn’t have treatment for kids.” She goes on to say that the youth treatment provisions of Prop. 5 are one of its main draws for her. “I can’t tell you how good I feel,” Woodford says, “when I think of all those kids who will never wind up in prison.” The second Yes on 5 spot offers a dramatic story of a young person who has slipped into addiction and criminal activity as a result of a drug problem. In “Rewind,” we take a look back at what happened: “When he was 14,” the narrator says, “he had a drug problem. But there was no drug treatment available. Now, we have to spend forty-six thousand dollars a year to keep him in prison.” Prop. 5 is “a better way” because it offers drug treatment to young people, the narrator says. The spot then ends by showing the two possible outcomes – in one frame, the youth is shown in a mug shot, headed for jail. In the other, he is wearing a cap and gown, graduating from college. Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, deputy campaign manager for Yes on 5, said, “Prop. 5 would fill a huge gap in drug treatment services in California. It is shocking how little we do now for young people with drug problems. These ads highlight for voters one of the most important aspects of Prop. 5, something almost everyone can identify with.” These ads, and others, are in final testing stages. The youth ads can be viewed online today: http://www.prop5yes.com/campaign-ads-videos ###