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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, June 7, 2002

Drug-treatment law may ease prison jam

Advertiser News Services

An administration bill to divert nonviolent, first-time offenders to drug treatment programs instead of sending them to prison is expected to have the added benefit of helping to ease crowding at Hawai'i's prisons.

The problem of crowding has gotten to the point where officials are looking at early release for as many as 300 low-risk inmates to avoid possible prisoner lawsuits because of the conditions.

Gov. Ben Cayetano, who was to sign the drug treatment bill into law today, earlier applauded lawmakers for passing the measure.

" ... We do not believe that just putting someone in jail is the solution to their drug problems," Cayetano said. "More often than not, without treatment, a person will slip back into drug use.

"It is a serious issue that has a negative ripple effect in the community and on our economy."

Proponents of the measure told lawmakers that drug treatment programs cost half the amount of keeping someone in prison.

Lawmakers, who approved $2.2 million to pay for the drug treatment programs for about 200 offenders identified as eligible, said Hawai'i "requires a major shift in philosophy to deal with the needs of drug offenders."

Groups backing the measure included the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii and the Community Alliance on Prisons, which ran television ads while lawmakers were considering the legislation.

The ads feature Dancetta Feary Kamai, the sister of Mackey Feary, the Hawai'i entertainer who was a repeat drug offender and died in prison three years ago.

Kamai said her brother suffered from depression and turned to both legal and illegal drugs. He was not a bad person, but was sick and needed help, she said.