Ch. 671                                    1996 LAWS OF MARYLAND

and standards be subject to certain regulations; requiring the State Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Administration to adopt certain regulations; requiring the
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to submit a certain
report by a certain date to certain persons: requiring the State to provide
funding for the provision of alcohol abuse and drug abuse treatment under
specified circumstances; requiring the phasing in of certain funding provisions
of this Act in a certain manner over a certain period of time; defining certain
terms; requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, and the Department
of Juvenile Justice to conduct certain studies and present certain reports;
providing for the termination of this Act: and generally relating to State
funding for alcohol abuse and drug abuse treatment of inmates.

BY adding to

Article - Health - General

Section 8-6A-01 and 8-6A-02 to be under the new subtitle "Subtitle 6A. Alcohol
Abuse and Drug Abuse Treatment for Inmates"

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1994 Replacement Volume and 1995 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS, Many studies have indicated that substance abuse constitutes one of
the major contributing factors to criminal activity, including violent crimes and property
crimes; and

WHEREAS, A study by the pretrial release program in Baltimore City estimated
that 70% of those arrested tested positive for drug use; and

WHEREAS, There is a 6-month waiting period in the State to receive drug
treatment; and

WHEREAS, Alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs constitute a good
investment of public funds yielding a significant return; and

WHEREAS, The benefits of alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs justify the
use of scarce public funds to pay for these programs; and

WHEREAS, The results of a landmark 1992 study in California of the effectiveness
and benefits of alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs in California indicated three
major findings: (1) there is a $7 return for every dollar invested in these programs; (2)
criminal activities of individuals who have an alcohol or drug abuse dependence
significantly declined after the completion of treatment; and (3) significant improvements
in health and corresponding reductions in hospitalizations of individuals were found
during and after treatment; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows;

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