Pubdate: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Copyright: 2000, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact: 414-224-8280 Website: http://www.jsonline.com/ Forum: http://www.jsonline.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimate.cgi Author: Lester E. Schultz ADDICTED OFFENDERS MUST GET TREATMENT The Journal Sentinel ran a front-page article on Feb. 14 titled "Few convicts get treatment for addictions." Is that supposed to be a new insight? Treatment for addictions, like recreational activities and education, are considered too soft a way of punishing law-breakers in today's draconian, vengeful society. Having served as a member of the board of directors and as president of programs designed to help offenders in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., I know something about the needless, horrendous cost to local, state and national taxpayers when we do not offer good, proper treatment for convicts who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. If no treatment is given properly, you can rest assured that each offender will be back in prison soon, and the cost to taxpayers will go on and on. Without proper treatment, I have seen such offenders come out of conventional prisons with a swagger and an aim to return to the same neighborhood and to the same life of addiction and crime. Given good addiction therapy, I have seen this swagger slowly disappear and a fresh aim in life develop. Why don't we use an enlightened, successful approach to treating addicted offenders when we know from objective statistics that this will often stop the return to prison - and thus save taxpayers billions of dollars? Because the people who make the laws in cities, counties, states and Washington campaign to get elected on the most expensive platform in the world: Lock 'em up, and throw away the key. Lester E. Schultz, Glendale - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D