Subject: Nevada lawmaker promotes prison program with Scientology link

Associated Press

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Hoping to win support for an alternative drug treatment program developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, a Nevada legislator wants her colleagues to join her on a trip to a Mexico prison to examine the program.

Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, has proposed legislation to establish the Second Chance Program in Nevada for the state's female prison population. The program relies on detoxification and self-betterment principles developed by Hubbard.

Angle said she has secured funding from a mystery donor for 35 legislators to take a March 1 day trip to Ensenada State Prison, where the program has been operating since 1995. The program claims to have lowered inmate recidivism to 10 percent.

The donor willing to pay for the lawmakers' trip is an Arizona man, but Angle wouldn't provide his name. She added that since the man isn't a registered lobbyist, he won't have to file a lobbyist spending report - so there would be no public financial record.

Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, said the tickets cost up to $235 per person, meaning the Arizona donor would be willing to pay more than $8,000 for the legislators to see the program.

Malkiewich said he sent a letter about the trip to legislators Monday afternoon, and all reservations must be confirmed by 4 p.m. Wednesday because Southwest Airlines is holding 35 tickets.

He said that as of Tuesday afternoon Assemblywomen Genie Ohrenschall, D-Las Vegas, and Valerie Weber, R-Las Vegas, and Assemblyman Don Gustavson, R-Sun Valley, had confirmed they'll make the trip.

Other Nevada legislators were skeptical, however. A number of lawmakers said they did not plan on attending the trip because the funding source is suspect and they do not want to open themselves to criticism about accepting gifts or donations.

The Second Chance Program detoxifies inmates by administering vitamin and mineral supplements, massage and sauna treatments to drain the body of drug residue, according to the program's brochure.

The program then includes an education component, followed by a self-respect component based on Hubbard's text "The Way to Happiness". The self-respect module also includes one-on-one interviews with a guidance counselor.

The program ends with a life skills component, training inmates on how to evaluate other people and how to change unwanted conditions of their lives. Inmates are then expected to take the program back into their communities upon their release.

Angle has twice visited the Ensenada prison, once with a group of women legislators, and another with Nevada Department of Corrections Director Jackie Crawford.

Crawford said she was impressed by the program and did not see its links to Scientology as problematic.

"They use parts of (Hubbard's), you know, philosophy in the program, but it is not, in any way, faith-based, so to speak, in directing it toward Scientology," Crawford said. "That's my understanding."

Angle said the program is not Scientology, but simply uses Hubbard's teachings.

The Second Chance Program is licensed by the criminal rehabilitation group Criminon International, a child of NARCONON International, a drug rehabilitation program. Both groups employ Hubbard's teachings in their rehabilitation efforts.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said she doesn't plan on making the trip, saying she is simply too busy to spend a Saturday on a legislative junket. She expressed reservations about the program's merits, but said she's open to hearing more details.

"It's kind of ironic that we're going to a Mexican prison to learn things, but you know, who knows? I'll be looking forward to reading the report," Buckley said.

Angle said her bill, which she hopes to introduce in the Assembly later this week, authorizes a demonstration project in Nevada. She said federal funding would be needed, and she's looking for grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as from President Bush's faith and community-based programs initiative.

"I'm pretty encouraged that the money will be available if we can pass this in a timely manner," Angle said.

Angle said the program would give Nevada the opportunity to be at the forefront of new treatment options for inmates.

"It's this program that Nevada will be on the cutting edge promoting, as far as we'll be the first ones in the United States to bring this in," Angle said. "And if we get the same results here as we've gotten in Ensenada, it sets up Nevada as the training place in the U.S. for this program."

Jackie Crawford
Director, Nevada Department of Corrections

Jackie Crawford is the Director of Nevada’s Department of Corrections. Director Crawford oversees an administrative office responsible for agency operation and planning. The department staff of 2,500 supervises and provides services for 10,000 offenders in 21 locations.

Director Crawford was appointed to this position in May 2000. This is her third directorship, having been director of Corrections and Detention Services for the City of Las Vegas and Parole Board Director in Arizona, previously.

Director Crawford has thirty plus years of correctional and criminal justice experience that began in public administration in the early 1970s as a correctional officer in Nebraska where she completed her degree in public administration and then became a warden. She established and operated the City of Las Vegas Department of Corrections and Detention in the early 1980’s and was appointed by Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt to Executive Director of the Parole Board in 1985. She was a Court Administrator from 1989 to 1994 with the Superior Court in Arizona. In 1996 she became the Warden of the Lovelock Correctional Center.

Her service, awards and recognition include: American Correctional Association, Commissioner of Accreditation with an 8-year term from 1986 to 1994 and a current term that started in 2002. She was a charter member of the Correctional Standards committee in the mid-1970’s. She served as President of the North American Wardens & Superintendents Association from 1979 to 1982, and was recognized in 1993 by Volunteers of America for distinguished service to corrections.

From http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2003/02/13/34442.php?sp1=rgj&sp2=News&sp3=Local+News

No. 2 Nevada Assembly Democrat reacts to Mexico trip
Associated Press

2/13/2003 05:45 pm

A legislative trip to a Mexico prison to view an alternative drug treatment program developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was termed inappropriate Thursday by the Assembly's second-ranking Democrat.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said the program is scientifically invalid and undercuts other state efforts.

"I think this legislature has a true commitment to the rehabilitation of prisoners, especially those who are drug addicts,"Buckley said.

"If anything, why aren't we working on expanding (drug courts and mental health courts)? Why would we adopt an experimental, gimmicky program that has absolutely no scientific validation for it. All the studies seem to be done by Scientology efforts."

Buckley also said it's ironic Nevada would look to Mexico prisons for ways to handle drug addiction.

Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, tried to set up the 1-day trip to Ensenada State Prison to promote her plan for establishing the Second Chance Program for Nevada's female prison population.

Angle said she's unhappy with Buckley's reaction to the program, saying it could be"like a bridge across the border."

She hopes to take up to 35 legislators to the prison on March 1, but only a few had signed up. And Buckley's statement was a clear warning to the 23 Assembly Democrats to avoid the trip.

The program has been operating in the prison since 1995 and claims a 10 percent recidivism rate for inmates participating in the program.

The trip would be funded by Arizona businessman Randall Suggs. Angle wouldn't reveal any additional information about the donor.

The Second Chance Program detoxifies inmates by administering vitamin and mineral supplements, massage and sauna treatments to drain the body of drug residue, according to the program's brochure.

The program then includes an education component, followed by a self-respect component based on Hubbard's text"The Way to Happiness". The self-respect module also includes one-on-one interviews with a guidance counselor.

The program ends with a life skills component, training inmates on how to evaluate other people and how to change unwanted conditions of their lives. Inmates are then expected to take the program back into their communities upon their release.

Angle has twice visited the Ensenada prison, once with a group of women legislators, and another time with Nevada Department of Corrections Director Jackie Crawford.

Crawford was planning on attending the trip, but decided to remain behind since she had already seen the facility.

The Second Chance Program is licensed by the criminal rehabilitation group Criminon International, a child of NARCONON International, a drug rehabilitation program. Both groups employ Hubbard's teachings in their rehabilitation efforts and are heavily promoted by the Church of Scientology.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

I was happy to read that Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley did her homework regarding the Narconon program in Nevada.

While Sharron Angle might be disappointed in Buckley's view that Narconon is scientifically invalid, some research into this Scientology front group would be enlightening for her.

All too often, legislators are willing to rely upon the reams of glossy, slick publications provided by the Narconon organization. I wish to commend Barbara Buckley for her dedication to her job. She understands the responsibility of her position, and has done her research.

There is a great deal of documentation regarding the Narconon program available. www.narconon-exposed.org is a good place to begin researching this ineffective and potentially dangerous program.

I am pleased that Buckley took the time to look behind the curtain. If only others would follow her example!

barbara graham

I think the recent flapdoodle in Nevada has demonstrated how valuable Chris' work can be. His 'Ron the War Hero' site got old El Rum listed as a phony war hero on a prominent site devoted to that issue.

But his 'Narconon Exposed' site is a knockout! I think it's going to be vewwy, vewwy tough for Narconon to establish itself in state-funded programs and communities now. They are going to have to sneak in with no fanfare, unless they want the populace pointed to NE. Once anybody spends any time at all reviewing this site, there is simply no way in hell they're going to allow the infestation of Narco-weenies to proceed!

I would say that Narconon Exposed is the single most valuable new addition to our arsenal of information. What a pity it didn't go up in time to chop Narconon Warner Springs off at the knees! I do look forward to tussling with them in the future. It's a splendid effort which has already paid off, if Nevada is any indication.

Thanks again for your superb work, Chris O!

barb