In the United States and around the world there is an epidemic involving drug addiction. Also, we are facing a growing problem revolving around prison overcrowding, due to inmates that have committed drug related crimes, or offences while under the influence. There is a solution that would help society and lessen overcrowding, and that’s to help those that are committing crimes due to an addiction disorder. By providing treatment for offenders; we can help the growing population, reduce recidivism, and equip them with the skills they need for successful reentry and life of recovery. Substance use disorder …show more content…
TCs are self-help group based residential treatment programs. That through repetition and reinforcement they try to aide addicts in developing a drug free lifestyle. According to Murray (2013), “Drug abuse and crime are seen as reflecting a disorder of the whole person, not just a result of using drugs” (p.1001). By committing oneself to the values and activities of the TC, with its emphasis on work ethic, social productivity, and responsibility to the community. Clients develop better values and the skills they need for successful living. (Evans, Huang, & Hoser 2011 p.522-523) It is also emphasized that TC treatment needs to be of sufficient duration (9 to 12 months) to be maximally effective. With inmates recruited within 12 to 15 months of release. Basically, eligible inmates have the opportunity to go to a TC to serve out the rest of their sentence rather than serve their sentence in its entirety at state or federal prison. Further, a continuum of treatment was found most likely to lead to long term success. There are numerous reasons for offering drug abuse treatment in jails and prisons. Evans, Huang, & Hosler (2011) found the following:
First, sheriffs reported fewer administrative problems with inmates who received some treatment, usually detoxification, while in jail. Second, there was reduction in drug-seeking behavior by the incarcerated population, and third, jails and prisons offer an opportunity to engage the drug-dependent individual in a rehabilitation
Yet, access to these services may be restricted, especially for those who are imprisoned. In Lamb's book, several women discuss their difficulty obtaining access to drug abuse treatment while they were in prison. Several said the lack of resources and insufficient support contributed to their ongoing battles with addiction. Increasing access to treatment programs is one way to combat the problem of substance misuse. Many people who are jailed battle addiction, and without the right care, they are prone to relapse.
Some people who were convicted for selling drugs were supporting their drugs habits. She suggested they would be better suited in a treatment facility. I concur, as a substance abuse counselor, I encountered many drug dealing addicts. It’s important for them to gain sobriety and develop positive coping skills. They cannot accomplished this by sitting in jail because many jails are ill-equipped for treatment.
Society most of time tends to be keen on helping each other. One way we help each other is by allowing inmates, no matter the crime, to join rehab. Steve Earle the author of ‘A Death in Texas’ was in drug rehab at one-point, finished rehab, and got clean of drugs. Earle then wrote about Jonathan Wayne Nobles a man on death row for killing two people. While Nobles was on death row he took drug rehab and got clean of his drug addiction.
After conducting some research I have reached the conclusion that drug offenders are the population in which could be more successfully controlled and rehabilitated in less secure correctional alternatives. There are a couple different beneficial aspects to transferring drug offenders out of prisons and into programs. The first is that is saves money while also being more effective. When you place an inmate into a program that is designed to help them with their specific problem your results improve. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s final report on NTIES noted that “In summary, we observed a pattern of substantially reduced alcohol and drug use in every type of treatment modality, with reductions typically between one-third and two-thirds
In 1989, the first Drug Court was created in Miami-Dade County after the courts were fed up with the same offenders and the growing drug cases. A group of individuals employed with the justice system decided to look for a better method of trying drug offenses by forming a drug court division. The group of individual’s solution for the repeated offenses and offenders was to combine drug therapy treatment with the legal authority of the courts. As a team, the drug court concept was effective in c correcting the lifestyle and behaviors of drug offenders. With its success, Miami-Dade Drug court sparked an effective trend and sparked the formation of 492 Drug Courts in the United States and continues to influence justice systems.
In 2014 there were 215,000 people incarcerated in federal prisons, almost half were there for drug-related offenses with the enactment of mandatory minimum sentencing laws for drug offenses in the 1980s, increasing the population by more than 800 percent (Malcolm, 2014.) “Moreover, drug offenders make up the single largest category of incarcerated offenders in Tennessee, serving an average sentence of 9.7 years” (Malcolm, 2014, paragraph 21.) By limit sentencing, we can address the issues of high cost, by using probation and parole for more misdemeanor
In 1989, officials in Miami-Dade County, Florida established the nation’s first drug court. This special court was designed to bring drug treatment more fully into the criminal justice system, treating offenders with a history of drug abuse for their addiction, while simultaneously ensuring supervision, and sanctions when needed, from the courts. The movement for an alternative court to sentence drug offenders emerged from the rapidly evolving reality that the nation’s decision to address drug abuse through law enforcement mechanisms would continue to pose significant challenges for the criminal court system. In 2004, 53% of persons in state prison were identified with a drug dependence or abuse problem, but only 15% were receiving professional
The purpose of this literature review is to prove that drug court programs are an effective alternative to incarceration for people struggling with substance abuse issues. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics seventeen percent of prisoners at the state level were incarcerated due to drug related crimes. Eighteen percent of federal cases were related to drugs (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2004). According to Lutze and Van Wormer the drug court model was formulated in response to the revolving cycle involved with substance addiction and crime.
After analyzing 69 adult Drug Courts, every practice found there was higher recidivism reduction compared to another program (NREPP , 2017, p. 4). Through studies on individual participants, SAMHSA found that “drug courts ‘significantly reduced the incidence of incarceration from a base rate of 50% to roughly 42% for jail, 38% for prison, and 32% for overall incarceration’” (NREPP, 2017, p. 6). Drug Courts save people from getting put in jail and this study shows how it works in keeping them out after completion. Low recidivism percentages are another huge plus to the courts.
Determining this, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has also developed a comprehensive drug abuse treatment strategy for those incarcerated inmates who were affected by illegal drug activities. Drug education programs, and comprehensive drug abuse counseling is offered to nearly all incarcerated inmates. While the number directly related illegal drug activity to inmate incarceration may be approximately fifty-one percent, some form of illegal drug activity may eventually affect nearly all
Only 18.3% (337,882) were for the sale or manufacture of a drug” (p. 23). Therefore, the individuals who are likely to enter the already overcrowded prisons may be users and the actual not distributors themselves. Thus, prison space that is intended to be reserved for murders and sexual predators is instead being occupied by substance
This model focuses on the individual needs of the offender and in doing so increases their chance of living sober once they reenter society. For example, indeterminate sentencing allows offenders who exhibit good behavior and participate in prison substance abuse programs to be paroled closer to the minimum sentencing term. This means the offender can be released from prison based on conditions set forth by the court. If the offender violates parole by committing another crime or failing to continue substance abuse treatment, they can be returned to prison. Furthermore, offering indeterminate sentencing for offenders who meet the criteria creates prison space thus helping with the ongoing problem of prison overcrowding (Seiter,
Substance use disorder According to WHO, substance abuse is defined as the consumption of substances that affect the mind in levels that are considered harmful (WHO). Substance abuse covers the abuse of alcohol and drugs such as opioids, amphetamines and cocaine. Substance use disorder is therefore a condition where the use of a substance such as alcohol leads to a severe impairment in one’s ability to be a functional human being. Components of substance use disorder include addiction, dependence and abuse.
The Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison Program is another attempt to provide better treatment for people who are convicted. The study showed that drug offenders who underwent a treatment program outside of prison had a 26 percent less rate of re-arrest after two years than a control group that was sent to prison (Justice Policy Institute, 2010). Rehabilitative programs like the Second Chance Act and the Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison Program has shown to growth and positive
This leads to the question of whether the justice system is doing an adequate job of dealing with drug addiction. Instead of incarcerating people for drug abuse, an alternative is treating victims by rehab and treatment. This paper will exam why treatment is the superior option for