Pubdate: Wed, 03 Sep 2008
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Dean Campbell

REHABILITATION, NOT JAILS

The federal government plans to spend $120 million over the next five 
years to combat drug use in prisons.

It's about time that the government and society as a whole realized 
that drugs are not going away. Many prisoners are in jail for drug 
offences; most of them crimes are committed to support that individual's habit.

Why not tackle the problem at the source -- addiction?

Why not take that $120 million and the money spent to keep people 
locked up and use the money for detox and rehab facilities? If your 
brother was an addict wouldn't you rather see him getting treatment 
for an addiction rather than being put in jail where dignity and 
self-respect is stripped away daily, making him want to escape from 
their nasty reality?

Wouldn't you rather see him come out of rehab healthy, happy and 
hopeful? Stop the so-called "war on drugs."

Dean Campbell

Victoria
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