Incarceration vs. Treatment

My classmate Nicolette Loisel’s blog Democratic Debris, she posted the article about ‘drug offenders need rehabilitation, not punishment.’ I strongly agree with her the fact that treatments reduce the drug use. But i would like to comment on that treatment is the ONLY sane answer to drug offenses, because it cost a lot less money to treat abusers rather than place them in a jail.

The drug abusers do deserve the punishment, due to using drugs and intoxication can impair judgment, resulting in criminal behavior, poor anger management, and violent behavior. Sometimes drug users steal money or property to be able to buy drugs. Often they will commit crimes while “high” on drugs, and many drug users are sent to jail or prison. A 2004 survey by the U.S. Department of Justice estimated that about 70 percent of State and 64 percent of Federal prisoners regularly used drugs prior to incarceration. The study also showed that 1 in 4 violent offenders in State prisons committed their offenses under the influence of drugs. Most prisoners serving time for drug-related crimes were not arrested for simple possession. Among sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, 18 percent were sentenced for drug offences and only 6 percent incarcerated for drug possession alone. And Federal data show that the vast majority of Federal prisoners sentenced for drug offenses were incarcerated for drug trafficking. Jail or prison would be a better if they can help and support their treatment. 

Majority of American continue to view drug abuse as a serious problem – just as they did a decade ago. What’s changed, however, is the way that most Americans believe we should handle the crisis.