"It's a Wednesday afternoon in Department 1203 at the Central Courthouse, and the man in the defendant's chair is anxious. The next morning, he'll be released from jail and expected to put his name on a waiting list at a drug treatment program. He has no car, no cellphone, no money for cab fare, and, he tells Superior Court Judge Cindy Davis, a poor sense of direction."
"Davis asks her clerk to print out a map. She includes notes to make sure the directions are clear and adds a Post-It with the date of the man's next court appearance, when he'll need to provide proof that he's in treatment or on a waiting list. He's already had two warrants for failing to show up in court. This, she warns him, could be his last chance."
"Prop. 36 was built on the idea that consequences would drive recovery, but it came with no funding to expand treatment slots or coordinate referrals. Meanwhile, the law is scooping up people with long histories of addiction, repeated jail stays and failed attempts at sobriety. County officials say they want to offer more support but lack the resources. For now, the burden largely falls on defendants many still deep in addiction, many who are homeless to find and secure treatment on their own."
A state law shifted certain drug and theft crimes from misdemeanors to felonies for repeat offenders, producing a surge of court-ordered treatment referrals without added funding. More than 3,100 people were arrested in the first ten months, with roughly 77% for drug possession. Many defendants face homelessness, long addiction histories, repeated jail stays, and lack transportation, phones, or money to access treatment. Judges and court staff sometimes provide practical assistance like maps and reminders, but counties report insufficient resources to expand treatment slots or coordinate referrals. The responsibility for finding and securing treatment largely falls to defendants.
Read at www.sandiegouniontribune.com
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