OASAS Commissioner Applauds Sentencing Commission Report

New York State Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today congratulated the Commission on Sentencing Reform for its landmark report on needed drug law reform.

"This report clearly supports what Governor David Paterson so aptly said in his State of the State message last month, that we must separate addiction from criminality in New York and provide the treatment needed to truly address the chronic disease of addiction," Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo said.

"With dedicated resources, OASAS' prevention, treatment and recovery programs stand ready to offer services to those addicted individuals in our criminal justice system, to assist them in the road to recovery, which in this state means sobriety, stable housing, education and to giving back to their communities as taxpaying citizens."

OASAS oversees one of the nation's largest addiction services systems with more than 1,550 prevention and treatment programs. OASAS also operates a toll-free, 24-hour helpline for alcohol, drug and gambling problems, 1-877-8-HOPENY. For more information, visit the OASAS Web site at www.oasas.state.ny.us.