Senate advances bill on drug offender reform

The Senate has advanced SB22, Drug Offender Reform Act to a final vote.

Sen. D. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, asked the Senate Tuesday to approve the bill that he said would potentially empty 2,000 jail cells within the state of Utah and postpone any structural expansions of prison buildings. He said upon implementation, results would be seen within the year.

DORA, as it is called on the Hill, would screen and assess first-time offenders to determine if they should be sentenced to jail or to a drug treatment program.

"Over 90 percent of females incarcerated have evidence of a foundation drug problem, and 70 to 80 percent of the men, which means one-third of them qualify as nonviolent, first and second offenders," Buttars said.

The bill advanced by a unanimous vote.