Pubdate: Thu, 27 Mar 2008
Source: St. Petersburg Times (FL)
Copyright: 2008 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Website: http://www.sptimes.com/home.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n322/a09.html
Author: C. A. Williams

DRUG TREATMENT WORKS BETTER THAN JAIL

I'm really dismayed that funding for drug addiction treatment is in
danger of being cut. It has been proved that treatment works better
and is cheaper than incarceration. People are waiting to be treated or
cannot afford treatment due to underfunded treatment programs.
However, we can always find funding for incarceration.

Our country's drug problem should be managed through medical treatment
and education programs, not through an incarceration process. Billions
of dollars spent on our "war on drugs" have generated poor results.
During this time the drug cartels and our enforcement and
incarceration agencies have blossomed and flourished, while our drug
treatment and education programs have been historically underfunded
and unsupported.

The United States has the highest prison population in the world, of
which a very large percentage are drug offenders. We routinely release
violent criminals early so drug offenders with mandated no-parole
sentences can be kept in prison. Incarceration's primary role should
be to keep the violent criminals safely away from the rest of us.
Nonviolent criminals should instead be punished with parole, house
arrest, restitution, community service and psychological treatment.
When we incarcerate instead of heal, we end up creating and
regurgitating hardened, violent criminals onto our streets and into
our neighborhoods.

The best solution would be a combination of carefully decriminalized
drug laws, significantly increased treatment and education
availability and funding, and a strategic realignment of our legal and
incarceration system's philosophy. Our leaders need to implement
systems that help our people, rather than continue to promote the
current failed situation.

C. A. Williams, Clearwater
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake