Lawmakers approve drug court early release program

The Interim Finance Committee on Thursday approved funding that will free a $416,250 federal grant to help fund an early release program for drug-addicted prison inmates.

The plan was presented by Washoe District Judge Peter Breen and Clark County District Judge Jack Lehman, who said the idea is to have the district order drug courts in those counties keep a tight rein on those inmates to make sure they attend counseling and anti-drug programs and stay off drugs.

The state's share of the program is $350,000 from the Lovelock Correctional Center and Prison Medical budgets.

Prison Director Bob Bayer has supported the drug court program in the past, saying that it can reduce prison costs by keeping addicts from coming back to prison.

Lehman told lawmakers as many as 80 percent of addicts are back in jail or prison within two years and that releasing them back on to the streets after prison isn't working. He said similar programs have cut the recidivism rate among inmate addicts to as low as 19 percent.

Bayer said he has high hopes for the program because of the intense supervision and control over inmates the judges in drug court can exert.

Breen said with the money released, they hope to get their first inmates in July.