Funds for Drug Rehab Center Approved

County supervisors Tuesday approved a plan by Sheriff Mike Carona to spend $1.3 million on a 64-bed drug rehabilitation unit at Theo Lacy Branch Jail.

Carona has made such treatment facilities a priority in his first term as sheriff, arguing that rehabilitation is much more effective for addicts than simply putting them in regular jail cells.

The money will help get the rehab unit off the ground. Supervisors have not decided on a permanent way to fund the program. Some officials have suggested using money the county is getting from a settlement with tobacco companies.

Inmates in the program would live in a special lock-down area of the jail in Orange.

The program will run for three to 12 months. Upon release, inmates would have access to referral services and further counseling for another three months.

Sheriff’s officials said they believe the services can help inmates break addictions that drive many into a life of crime after their release from jail.

Marin County Sheriff’s Department in Northern California operates a treatment center that houses dozens of substance abusers. And last year, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca won praise for converting an old jail into a rehabilitation center for about 85 sentenced drug offenders.