J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                       1413

No. 68*
(Senate Joint Resolution 49)

Senate Joint Resolution urging the Governor to include funds in the
State capital budget for the planning of a 200-bed rehabilitation
facility for habitual drunken offenders..

Whereas, Chronic alcoholism is a nationally recognized problem
of major proportions, and whereas, it is estimated in Maryland alone
there are 80,000 alcoholics which cost the State approximately $6
million dollars per year on the welfare budget, and whereas the
Maryland Code recognizes alcoholism as an illness and a public health
problem subject to treatment and recovery, and the sufferer of alcohol
is one worthy of treatment and rehabilitation, and

Whereas, Information on the number of habitual drunken of-
fenders indicates there is a strong need for a public investment in an
effort to rehabilitate habitual drunken offenders especially when con-
sideration is taken of the great costs of managing them by arrests,
trials and imprisonment, and by welfare support, and

Whereas, The need for such a rehabilitation facility has been
noted by every committee and commission assigned to study the
problem of drunken offenders in the past 20 years; now, therefore,
be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That we strongly
support the request of the Department of Mental Hygiene for plan-
ning funds for a treatment center as an alternative to the traditional
correctional resources for habitual drunken offenders, and be it
further

Resolved, That the General Assembly urges the Executive to include
necessary funds in the 1966 Supplemental Budget in order to imple-
ment the forward looking policy of the State as herein expressed, and
be it further

Resolved, That copies of this Resolution are sent to the Governor
of Maryland, the State Budget Director and the State Planning
Department.

——————

* This resolution was not signed by the Governor.