Last week in order to prove their tea party cred, apparently, the PWC BOCS proposed slashing the county DORM (Drug Offender Rehabilitation Module), program, a drug treatment program for incarcerated criminals. Jeremy Borden reported the following in washingtonpost.com:
Prince William County officials are considering cutting local funding for the county jail’s substance abuse treatment program, a move that has touched off intense lobbying from defense attorneys and law enforcement officials who say the program helps inmates clean up their lives, keeps the community safer and saves money.
Although county supervisors don’t make any final budget decisions until a scheduled meeting Tuesday, a potential $607,000-per-year cut to the program took many by surprise last week. Supervisors had considered other potentially painful cuts, including doing away with two new libraries and slashing the local subsidy to the county health department.
The board already has decided to spare the libraries and health department, but the proposed cut to the substance abuse program remained as supervisors sought a compromise to whittle residents’ real estate tax bills while maintaining core services. Those negotiations have yielded a plan that would have the average county resident paying $3,392 in real estate taxes, an increase of 2.3 percent.
This program would cost less than $2.00 per person per year! The 2.3% tax increase would be less than $7.00 per tax bill per month. At what point do we start discussing penny wise and pound foolish?
Illegal drug use is definitely an expense to society in terms of crime, use of community resources, ravaging families, and lack of productivity, just to name a few minuses. 71% of those who have been through the DORM program have no repeat crime records for 3 years. Those stats sure take a huge bite out of recidivism. Isn’t that our ultimate goal? Don’t we wan’t to cure our criminals?
Just about anyone who works with the criminal legal system is supportive of the DORM program. Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert said he plans to call the supervisors to urge them to salvage this program.
“It’s got a good history, and it’s a shame from a law enforcement and society standpoint” should the program not continue, Ebert said.
Ebert and others said that the program has helped people stay out of trouble. Known as the drug DORM (Drug Offender Rehabilitation Module), the voluntary program uses behavior therapy to tackle problems related to drug addiction and criminality, according to a program fact sheet. The program also gives inmates access to employment and GED classes.
It’s time for the BOCS to start thinking smart and direct county funds into programs that are good investments. The DORM program is a good investment. Any time we can save people from a life of crime and drug abuse and get them directed towards a more productive life, that’s a good thing. It’s an investment in people and families. Healthy, productive individuals and families should be a primary goal of local government.
Prince William County has relatively low taxes. To hear the politicians talk, we are being strangled out of existence. That simply is not true.
It is frugal to spend money where you get the most bang for your buck. The DORM program has a proven track record. It is one program that should come off the chopping block.
!
It’s Jeremy Borden, not Border. I guess we know where your head is at. 👿
That’s probably not the only typo in there.
If this is NOT cut then I think the ROTTINGHAM blog will have been for naught. Good.
If this is NOT cut then I think the ROTTINGHAM blog will have been for naught. Good.
The Rottinghams are all over therer going wah wah wah over Nohe and Jenkins for wanting to fund Keep PWC Beautiful. Why not. Do those whiners really think that any reputable business is going to be attracted to this sh**-hole?
The many headed Sheriff seems hell bent on making something out of nothing at all. Who gets the benefit of any beautification program?
Who thinks that any place is going to attract business when its just butt ugly?
Why relocate anywhere they cut back library services and the vocal people in town are so tight they squeak?
What in the PWC budget is worthy of being cut? With military cuts, sequestration and furloughs, it seems reasonable to keep county costs low.
Not much. They can not give Rainbow Riding $200,000. I still want to know what they did with their own funds.
The budget was already cut. Taxes are very low for this area. The rate is only up because the market was so depressed. They have played that game for about 5 years now.
@Kelly_3406
Road building
What dumba$$ would think that cutting a program to keep residents SAFE makes sense? How many crimes are committed because people are substance abusers? Many. In fact, all the research provest that treating people in jail PREVENTS crime once they get out. DUH……
http://www.bop.gov/inmate_programs/substance.jsp
Drug treatment studies for in-prison populations have found that when programs are well-designed using effective program elements and implemented carefully, these programs:
reduce relapse,
reduce criminality,
reduce recidivism,
reduce inmate misconduct,
reduce mental illness,
reduce behavioral disorders,
increase the level of the inmate’s stake in societal norms,
increase levels of education and employment upon return to the community,
improve health and mental health symptoms and conditions, and
improve relationships.
Collectively, these outcomes represent enormous safety and economic benefits to the public.
Thank you Elena and I know you voiced your concerns to the BOCS.
Another act of pure stupidity is a local blogger criticizing supervisors for wanting to fund Keep Prince William Beautiful. When Prince William county employees give their time to organizations in a voluntary capacity, they should be praised, not accused of being the agent of their bosses.
I know, I know, it wasn’t about the one who walks on water….that’s why they caught it.
Speaking of conflict of interest….ahem. cough cough choke choke. Pot and Kettle time again.
Good for Mr. Nohe and Jenkins!
The supervisors looked like they were caving in to Candland’s whining. It is time for Mr. C to put on some big boy pants and realize that PWC has grown by leaps and bounds.
His flat tax flatlined for sure.