2008 Woodie Awards
Drug Solutions: Treatment Versus Imprisonment
On the Road to Recovery, Jail Time Becomes a Detrimental Pit Stop
Erik Burneyko
Issue date: 3/25/04 Section: Opinion
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Billions of dollars are spent each year fighting the war on drugs.
Hundreds of thousands are arrested for drug violations, and thousands of lives are lost due to drug overdoses and drug crimes.
This is a war that will not be defeated unless other directions are taken.
A better way to fight it is to use the funds for treatment rather than imprisonment.
Treatment has proven to be more cost effective. Treatment programs are about half the cost of imprisonment.
Drug programs show that the majority of patients are more likely to remain drug free.
The National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that 33 percent of treatment patients are less likely to be rearrested, 92 percent become employed, 45 percent less likely to be reconvicted and 87 percent are less likely to return to prison.
About 90 percent of drug offenders are repeat drug offenders.
The average yearly cost to house an inmate in prison is $60,000, compared to $30,000 for treatment.
The treatments include educating the users, treating them, and involving vocational training and allowing them to become responsible citizens.
The money saved can go to treatment programs, including counseling, education and rehabilitation. A patient released from a drug program will be a productive individual. An individual free of addiction and will lessen the expense of drug related crime.
Imprisonment is not a form of treatment.
Punishing a drug user as a criminal will not help them become drug free. The inmate will feel the urge to use drugs throughout the time spent in jail, get drugs inside the jail and grow a hatred toward authority.
The person will continue to use and will most likely commit a crime when released.
Prisons and jails are full. They are overcrowded with drug users labeled "criminals."
The expense is high and there is not enough room for serious offenders such as, murderers, rapists and burglars.
As this is going on, police cannot spend the time on other crimes when busy with drug crimes.
By curing people of their drug problem rather than punishing, they will become drug free.
Crime will be down. Since many crimes are drug related, more productive individuals will arise.
As a result, money will be saved and can be spent on important issues such as, building and repairing schools, hospitals, and housing for the homeless.
This is the only way to win this war.
Hundreds of thousands are arrested for drug violations, and thousands of lives are lost due to drug overdoses and drug crimes.
This is a war that will not be defeated unless other directions are taken.
A better way to fight it is to use the funds for treatment rather than imprisonment.
Treatment has proven to be more cost effective. Treatment programs are about half the cost of imprisonment.
Drug programs show that the majority of patients are more likely to remain drug free.
The National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that 33 percent of treatment patients are less likely to be rearrested, 92 percent become employed, 45 percent less likely to be reconvicted and 87 percent are less likely to return to prison.
About 90 percent of drug offenders are repeat drug offenders.
The average yearly cost to house an inmate in prison is $60,000, compared to $30,000 for treatment.
The treatments include educating the users, treating them, and involving vocational training and allowing them to become responsible citizens.
The money saved can go to treatment programs, including counseling, education and rehabilitation. A patient released from a drug program will be a productive individual. An individual free of addiction and will lessen the expense of drug related crime.
Imprisonment is not a form of treatment.
Punishing a drug user as a criminal will not help them become drug free. The inmate will feel the urge to use drugs throughout the time spent in jail, get drugs inside the jail and grow a hatred toward authority.
The person will continue to use and will most likely commit a crime when released.
Prisons and jails are full. They are overcrowded with drug users labeled "criminals."
The expense is high and there is not enough room for serious offenders such as, murderers, rapists and burglars.
As this is going on, police cannot spend the time on other crimes when busy with drug crimes.
By curing people of their drug problem rather than punishing, they will become drug free.
Crime will be down. Since many crimes are drug related, more productive individuals will arise.
As a result, money will be saved and can be spent on important issues such as, building and repairing schools, hospitals, and housing for the homeless.
This is the only way to win this war.