Report: Invest in Drug Treatment Instead of Punishment
Instead of throwing drug addicts in jail, the state should invest more money in substance abuse treatment, says a report issued Thursday by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, which adds that the move could provide millions of dollars in savings and improve public safety.
“You cannot cure addiction by locking it up,” said Ana Yáñez Correa, executive director of the coalition. “It doesn’t cure it; it makes it worse.”
In Texas, arrests for drug possession have increased 32 percent in the last decade, and about 90 percent of all drug-related arrests are for possession — not dealing, according to ...
Comments (12)
Jose B. Gonzalez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Incarcerating people is BIG business!!!
Antonia Rodriguez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It certainly is. It feeds more into the Cycle of Violence...
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
strange that you post a photo of someone smoking marijuana when the largest problem with drug addiction is prescription drugs
Ellie Hanley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Treatment works!
Brady Bragg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Convicted people, for the greater part, continue to be punished in terms of limited job options... after they serve their time as well. Often they choose the easier route, to continue the drug abuse and/or crime cycle.
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Given the backwardness of Texas health care in general, even if treatment works and costs less money, our legislators are a punitive bunch who've yet to acknowledge that addiction is a disease, not a moral failure.
Lissa Hattersley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Luisa, I would venture to guess that the majority of people addicted to prescription drugs are never incarcerated. Seems this change would most affect abusers of "recreational" drugs.
Ellie Hanley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not so sure about prescription addicts avoiding the criminal justice system. Driving under the influence catches some people, and turning to the street for pills is another route when demand exceeds prescribed supply.
JC DemocratofTejas
Luisa nails it over and over. ..."addiction is a disease not a moral failure." Time for Texas to pull its head out of the convenient sand. All I can say to the State is DUH!
Samdavis
Ann Richards used this approach years ago by starting treatment centers in prison. George Bush stopped the program because he had so much personal knowledge about drug use. I can't see Perry allowing something like this to pass when he is heavily funded by owners of private prisons.
Robert Ruiz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
alcohol, big pharma and big tobacco kill more people than marijuana or most other drugs for that matter.
Lewis Whitmire
The War on Drugs, is really a War on People. Let's face it, there is no scientific reason to jail drug users. The only reason is to keep private prison companies in business. For those who claim to be fiscally conservative, we should all be pushing to close prisons and treat the problem in the most effective way, which is NOT prisons!