Budget Cuts Threaten Long-Running Drug Court

The Sanction Treatment Opportunity Progress (STOP) program in Multnomah County, Ore., is the second-oldest drug court in the U.S., but could soon close as the county struggles to close a $45-million budget gap, The Oregonian reported April 2.

The STOP program’s $1.4 million in annual state and county funding is in jeopardy, with the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice recommending that the program be cut. “We had to make a lot of hard choices; this is a good program, and we’re not happy about submitting this choice to the chair,” said Jason Ziedenberg, a spokesman for the department, who said that drug-court funding would be cut in order to maintain programs to supervise sex offenders and other violent offenders released from prison.

County Chairman Ted Wheeler is expected to release his budget plan on April 23.

Studies have shown that STOP saves county taxpayers $7.9 million annually in prison and crime-related costs.