Snyder County may soon be home to a 50-bed treatment center specializing in the treatment of addicts making the transition from prison to life outside. The lion's share of those addicts may come from state or federal prison, prompting safety concerns from neighbors. Those objections were enflamed by the company's unwillingness to talk until after criticism arose. Residents are not misinformed they are uninformed, as Beavertown Councilman Craig Mellott said Tuesday.

It is a pattern that has been played out repeatedly €" in Laurelton, near Sunbury, and now Beaver Springs. The first two proposals were derailed but due to a lack of zoning the western Snyder County facility seems poised to open its doors.

What now?

Regardless of Firetree's poor record of community relations, the company offers a service. Snyder County has drug addicts, the same as any county. Drug addiction fuels an inordinate amount of crime in the Valley. Improving access to rehabilitation services is one of the most effective crime-fighting tools available. Many of the addicts served by the facility will come through county-operated drug and DUI courts, a company official said.

Snyder County President Judge Harold F. Woelfel Jr. recently said the judicial district shared by Snyder and Union counties will begin offering a drug court this summer. Under such programs, convicts receive shortened sentences or avoid jail altogether by participating in counseling under strict supervision from probation officers.

Woelfel said the court's move was prompted by lobbying from Union County commissioner Preston Boop but the judge said evidence of the program's worth is convincing. Drug court participants are less likely to commit crimes again and treatment programs are less expensive than incarceration. Housing one inmate in state prison costs about $30,000 a year compared to the $4,000 annual cost per drug court participant.

A drug treatment center could be an asset for Snyder County instead of a nuisance. If the facility opens near Beaver Springs, Snyder County officials should ensure that local residents are clients as well as neighbors. ۩