Ventura County Supervisors to Weigh $750K Proposition 36 Plan

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors today will consider a plan to authorize $750,000 for providing drug treatment mandated by Proposition 36, the Los Angeles Times reports. Supervisors will evaluate contracts with two companies to provide counseling and drug testing as part of Proposition 36, the voter-approved initiative that calls for most nonviolent first- and second-time drug offenders to be directed toward treatment instead of jail. Under the plan, treatment options would range from six to 18 months of rehabilitation. According to the Times, county mental health and law enforcement officials have been meeting since February to develop an implementation plan for the program, which is expected to treat 3,500 drug offenders in the county each year (Los Angeles Times, 8/6).