The County Budget: The Unkindest Cut
The County Budget: The Unkindest Cut
Copyright by The Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis
2007-01-31
Speaking about his proposed budget cuts, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has said that “sometime [ s ] there’s gonna be some pain felt, but we are not going to do anything that would put anyone at risk.”
However, lots of people would beg to differ. Stroger’s budget, which goes to the County Board of Commissioners with a Feb. 28 deadline to pass the proposals, would ( among other things ) eliminate 16 community health care clinics and cut the Bureau of Health by more than $100,000. Sheriff Tom Dart’s department will receive $20 million less for police and court services, and programs for female prisoners will be eliminated.
Windy City Times recently spoke with Dr. Dan Lustig, vice president of Haymarket Center ( www.hcenter.org ) —which employs comprehensive alcohol and drug treatment programs—about the how the cuts affect it and the agency’s Department of Women’s Justice Services ( DWJS ) program, which helps female offenders at Cook County Jail who are incarcerated for drug-related offenses.
Windy City Times: Tell me about the program.
Dan Lustig: It’s under the sheriff’s department. Women who are pre-sentenced receive substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment and HIV services. These are actually a very chronic and high-need population that uses these clinics.
To give you a better idea of what we’re talking about, 72 percent of the women in that program had sex while under the influence of alcohol or drugs within the past year. Sixty percent of them had unprotected sex in the last year. Forty-two percent traded sex for drugs or money, and 28 percent of them had multiple sex partners within [ that time span ] . Seventy percent enter the criminal justice system reporting a drug or alcohol problem. [ The budget ] would eliminate all those services and those ingredients in reducing recidivism in that chronic-need group.
WCT: Well, I can imagine what your greatest fear is.
DL: Yes. And one of our programs here at Haymarket is the MOMS program; those are pregnant women who deliver drug-free infants and [ includes ] individuals who are not out on the streets, where there are HIV risk factors. Since the program started in ‘99, they have produced 185 drug-free infants. When the program ends on Feb. 28, all pregnant women will be released back into the jail to deliver their children in the general population.
WCT: So they have nowhere to go, essentially.
DL: No, and they will lose custody of the children that they have inside the program here.
But the big piece [ involves ] a research study we did. By the county board cutting $4.4 million out of the budget, it will cost the county $17 million per year for programs and services. For every dollar that’s invested in this program, it’s saving the county four dollars.
Also, by eliminating the program, it’s close to a loss of $2 million out of Haymarket’s budget.
WCT: And what was the justification for cutting this out entirely?
DL: [ It’s ] because the county is $500 million in debt, and they’re looking at cutting costs. And Todd Stroger believes that the sheriff should be in the business of detainment, not treatment. Actually, Haymarket Center is doing the treating, but we’re addressing those indicators that will reduce recidivism. [ DWJS ] is comprehensive and gender-specific in that we address the substance-abuse, educational and mental-health pieces.
WCT: So what would you say to Todd Stroger if you had five minutes with him?
DL: I’d like to tell him that he needs to listen. He needs to take a clear look at his constituents’ needs—and they need services that he’s cutting.
There’s a lot of bloat in the hospital. The county hospital isn’t even collecting insurance from people who have it. There are hundreds of millions of dollars in that category. [ If they did collect, ] there would be more money in the county for services.
I don’t know what Todd Stroger’s thinking, but this certainly isn’t in the best interest of individuals and human lives.
See www.hcenter.org for more about Haymarket Center.
Copyright by The Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis
2007-01-31
Speaking about his proposed budget cuts, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has said that “sometime [ s ] there’s gonna be some pain felt, but we are not going to do anything that would put anyone at risk.”
However, lots of people would beg to differ. Stroger’s budget, which goes to the County Board of Commissioners with a Feb. 28 deadline to pass the proposals, would ( among other things ) eliminate 16 community health care clinics and cut the Bureau of Health by more than $100,000. Sheriff Tom Dart’s department will receive $20 million less for police and court services, and programs for female prisoners will be eliminated.
Windy City Times recently spoke with Dr. Dan Lustig, vice president of Haymarket Center ( www.hcenter.org ) —which employs comprehensive alcohol and drug treatment programs—about the how the cuts affect it and the agency’s Department of Women’s Justice Services ( DWJS ) program, which helps female offenders at Cook County Jail who are incarcerated for drug-related offenses.
Windy City Times: Tell me about the program.
Dan Lustig: It’s under the sheriff’s department. Women who are pre-sentenced receive substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment and HIV services. These are actually a very chronic and high-need population that uses these clinics.
To give you a better idea of what we’re talking about, 72 percent of the women in that program had sex while under the influence of alcohol or drugs within the past year. Sixty percent of them had unprotected sex in the last year. Forty-two percent traded sex for drugs or money, and 28 percent of them had multiple sex partners within [ that time span ] . Seventy percent enter the criminal justice system reporting a drug or alcohol problem. [ The budget ] would eliminate all those services and those ingredients in reducing recidivism in that chronic-need group.
WCT: Well, I can imagine what your greatest fear is.
DL: Yes. And one of our programs here at Haymarket is the MOMS program; those are pregnant women who deliver drug-free infants and [ includes ] individuals who are not out on the streets, where there are HIV risk factors. Since the program started in ‘99, they have produced 185 drug-free infants. When the program ends on Feb. 28, all pregnant women will be released back into the jail to deliver their children in the general population.
WCT: So they have nowhere to go, essentially.
DL: No, and they will lose custody of the children that they have inside the program here.
But the big piece [ involves ] a research study we did. By the county board cutting $4.4 million out of the budget, it will cost the county $17 million per year for programs and services. For every dollar that’s invested in this program, it’s saving the county four dollars.
Also, by eliminating the program, it’s close to a loss of $2 million out of Haymarket’s budget.
WCT: And what was the justification for cutting this out entirely?
DL: [ It’s ] because the county is $500 million in debt, and they’re looking at cutting costs. And Todd Stroger believes that the sheriff should be in the business of detainment, not treatment. Actually, Haymarket Center is doing the treating, but we’re addressing those indicators that will reduce recidivism. [ DWJS ] is comprehensive and gender-specific in that we address the substance-abuse, educational and mental-health pieces.
WCT: So what would you say to Todd Stroger if you had five minutes with him?
DL: I’d like to tell him that he needs to listen. He needs to take a clear look at his constituents’ needs—and they need services that he’s cutting.
There’s a lot of bloat in the hospital. The county hospital isn’t even collecting insurance from people who have it. There are hundreds of millions of dollars in that category. [ If they did collect, ] there would be more money in the county for services.
I don’t know what Todd Stroger’s thinking, but this certainly isn’t in the best interest of individuals and human lives.
See www.hcenter.org for more about Haymarket Center.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 12:44 PM
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