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Lawmakers press DOC on SAP waiting lists and whether court‑ordered treatment is delivered
Summary
Legislators told the Department of Corrections that long waiting lists for court‑ordered substance‑abuse programming (SAP) can discourage judges from ordering treatment; DOC said it prioritizes court‑ordered cases and uses transfers but acknowledged capacity limits and possible gaps, and the committee requested follow‑up statistics.
Lawmakers on the Joint Prison Oversight Committee pressed the Alabama Department of Corrections on whether court‑ordered substance‑abuse treatment (SAP) reaches the people judges intend to send to the program.
Representative Simpson told DOC that waiting lists are "extensive" and can create a perverse incentive: if completing SAP would keep someone in custody longer because of delays, judges and defendants may avoid ordering it. "If I order SAP, they may…
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