Evening star., 1953-01-27
Narcotics
Continued From First Page.)

were to be effective-legislation
enabling him to control the adj
diets once they we're admitted
would have to accompany the
commitment law.
otherwise they would have to
be treated as voluntary patients" I"
DR.. Chapman said. 'They would
be under their own control, free
to leave at any time. I could
exercise no restraint on them
without leaving myself open to
civil suit"
That is what happens if
patients are committed from
other states. There is no en-
abling legislation, and for this
reason the states do not send
their prisoner and probationer
patients to Lexington.
When a patient says he wants
to leave, the only thing I can do
is notify the committing author
ity and have him picked up as
he walks out the gate" DR.. Chap
man said.
This does not happen with
Federal prisoners and prisoners
from the District of Columbia.
The law setting up the hospital
states, that It must accept such
prisoners - those addicts who
have violated a Federal or Dis
trict law and are committed as
prisoner or probationer patients.
DR.. Chapman said that be-
fore he could accept patients un-
der the compulsory commitment
law he also would have to be
assured that his staff and facili-
ties are adequate to give them
the kind Of treatment they need.
Sees No d. C.. Problem.
But he does not believe this
would be a particular problem in
the Districts case because he
does not feel the added patients
would overtax the facilities at
the hospital. It would be a pre-
cautionary measure, to insure
against overcrowding, and would
give him discretion in which pa
tients he would accept.
Legislation to allow DR.. Chap
man to accept patients COM
mitted from the States has been
introduced in each Congress
since the Both. It always has
passed one house or the other,
but has never passed both. It
was written and introduced by
the late Senator Virgil Chap
man, who was from Kentucky
and no relation to DIR. Chapman.
Patients committed as pris-
oners from the District or from
other States are charged at the
current cost. Last year this figure
was $6.16ta day for each patient.
Voluntary patients, If they are
able to pay are charged S. q
day for the 135-day treatment
considered the minimum time
necessary to adjust the patient
to normal living again. They
deposit $3.50 when they enter.
to cover the first month, and
then are given monthly bills.
Another Glass of Patients.
In addition to prisoner, proba-
toner and voluntary patients,
the hospital takes a fourth class
the Bluegrass" patients.
These once were voluntary pa
tients who left before they had
received the full 135-daH treat
ment, the ANA" patients who
left against medical advice"
These are accepted for anotl1-
er treatment only If they go
through the Kentucky courts
and have themselves committed.
This allows the hospital to hold
them for the full 135 days.
DR.. Chapman said he feels that
compulsory commitment would
be an aid in solving whatever
drug problem the District has.
1t would help get the addicts OF
the streets and reduce the dam
ger of their introducing others
to the dope habit, he said.
cit might also have this ef-
fect-driving the addictS and
peddlers out of Washington to
some other area" he said. That
is what happens in almost every