Expanded drug court receives approval

Monday, April 9, 2001 | 10:29 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Assembly Judiciary Committee today approved a bill that would make more prison inmates eligible for entry into drug courts in Las Vegas and Reno.

District Judge Jack Lehman of Las Vegas told the committee that 122 inmates were interviewed and screened but only 16 have been accepted into the program.

Drug court allows a convict to live and work in the community but still be considered a prison inmate. The first individuals started in December, despite the program being authorized in 1999.

The program allows only those prisoners with one conviction to apply, but Assembly Bill 574 would permit those with four convictions to qualify.

If that law is approved, Lehman said there would be an additional 42 inmates eligible. And he hopes to have the number of people enrolled up to 100 by the end of this year.

In Washoe County only two prisoners have been released to the drug court, a supervised program of drug testing and rehabilitation efforts.

Of the 16 in Clark County, Lehman said only one has tested "dirty," or showing drugs in his urine. That happened last Wednesday, and Lehman said the individual is in the Clark County jail and will probably be sent back to prison.

Gov. Kenny Guinn authored the current state program two years ago to reduce the prison population and in hopes of achieving a lower rate of those who are released from prison and then re-arrested.

Lehman said the recidivism rate for prison is 80 percent of the convicts returning for either parole violation or committing another crime.

In his adult drug court, which started eight years ago for those who are placed on probation or diverted from prison, there have been 1,718 graduates, with only 303 getting into trouble again. That's a 17 percent recidivism rate, he said.

District Judge Peter Breen of Reno said the success rate in Washoe County is 80-85 percent of those who take part in the drug court.

"We need to expand the criteria so we can reach more people in prison," he said. A lot of these prisoners have multiple convictions arising from the same drug problem. He urged the committee to expand the numbers who can be released so "We can prove to you this concept works."

The program is financed by $416,250 from the federal government and $138,750 from the state. Lehman said there is already enough money available to expand the program.

The bill is expected to come up for final passage next week in the Assembly.