| As you have probably read more than once, | | | | unfortunately also had an alcohol problem. Let's call |
| offenders with some connection to drugs make up | | | | him Sam, (not his real name), for ease of relating the |
| the greatest percentage of people in our prisons. | | | | story. |
| Often, the criminal commits his/her crime either under | | | | One day, at Sam's place of employment, a diner, |
| the influence of drugs, or to gain money to support a | | | | (which happened to be in a different county than |
| drug habit. | | | | where he lives), a customer he had befriended, |
| But many of the prisons in the U.S., prison population | | | | asked him if he knew where he could "...get a joint". |
| has doubled or tripled over the last 20 years. Are | | | | Sam, an ever-obliging, friendly type, said, "I've got |
| people committing more crimes? In fact, national | | | | some", and the customer gave him $5 for one |
| statistics show violent crimes on the decline by over | | | | cigarette. |
| 30%. What, then, accounts for this huge increase? | | | | As fate would have it, that same customer was |
| You can blame a good part of it directly on our `get | | | | caught by the police, later, smoking marijuana. At |
| tough on drugs' policy. The increasing incidence of | | | | that time, (this was around 1995), the police in that |
| drug use, the death of youths by overdose, (and | | | | area were trying to break up a fairly large marijuana |
| also some very famous persons), and the connection | | | | distribution `ring'. They told this man that he would |
| of drugs with other crimes, have created this | | | | not get `busted' if he would set them up with the |
| mindset of `lock `em up and throw away the key'. | | | | person who sold him the `joint'. |
| This phenomenon spread across the country. Prisons | | | | Shortly thereafter, the `customer' brought an |
| were being built in record breaking numbers. Private | | | | undercover police to the diner. He said his `friend' |
| industry was getting on the bandwagon, erecting | | | | wanted a joint, and asked Sam if he had some |
| prisons and bidding on housing, (or warehousing), | | | | marijuana. Sam was a little leery about `selling' a joint |
| offenders. | | | | to a stranger, but his friendly customer assured him |
| And the bill for this is getting higher and higher. But | | | | the guy wasn't a policeman. So, the joint passed |
| what are we to do? Ignore the problem? Let | | | | hands. |
| uncontrolled drug trade flourish? | | | | The undercover policeman then said he would like to |
| Drug trade wouldn't be a lucrative business without | | | | buy more. |
| clientele. If we throw the `buyer', (user), into jail | | | | Sam said he knew where to get it, and they agreed |
| without significant rehabilitation programs while he/she | | | | to meet at Sam's house on another day. It |
| is there, we're just taking the customer out of the | | | | happened, and a small bag of marijuana passed |
| marketplace temporarily. | | | | hands. |
| Another unproductive aspect of locking the user up is | | | | Then the handcuffs came out. Sam was arrested, |
| that the person may have a family and children he is | | | | and offered the same deal: "Tell us who your supplier |
| supporting. (I'll stick to the pronoun `he' for most of | | | | is, and we'll let you go." |
| this article, as we have many more men imprisoned | | | | As is so often the case, the small fry won't `squeal' |
| than women-still recognizing that the drug offender | | | | on the big fish, and Sam's loyalty cost him a jail term. |
| can be a woman, too.) While he is incarcerated, who | | | | What kind of a penalty is associated with this crime |
| is supporting that family? Too often, we, the public, | | | | of Sam's? Bad luck for Sam-he had sold marijuana to |
| are. You say, it's worth it? | | | | an undercover policeman in two counties! (Just by |
| It costs $20,000.00 to $30,000.00 a year to house an | | | | driving a short distance down the road from his job |
| inmate, depending on the state. What do you think a | | | | to his home!) |
| good drug rehabilitation program would cost? | | | | In county where he sold to the policeman, he pled |
| There are some drug rehabilitation programs in some | | | | guilty and was sentenced to one to two years. While |
| prisons, with follow-up after the inmate is on parole. | | | | in county jail, he was taken to court in the second |
| The program is often limited to a specific number of | | | | county, and got another sentence of up to 7 years, |
| inmates and staffing of the program is constrained | | | | suspended, if he successfully served his first term |
| by budgetary concerns. After the inmate has | | | | and didn't violate his parole conditions. |
| completed what is often an initial 60 day program, he | | | | The end of the story is that he spent 8 months in |
| is back living with `general population', not necessarily | | | | county jail, and 16 more months on probation. |
| the best place for someone who is undergoing | | | | There was absolutely no `treatment', |
| rehabilitation trying to accomplish a mindset change! | | | | rehabilitation-nothing in county jail. Occasionally, there |
| Private rehabilitation drug programs are expensive-in | | | | was an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting, but |
| house programs are well over $100/day. But divide | | | | sometimes the facilitator didn't show up. (I'm happy |
| that into the $30,000.00 per year housing costs at | | | | to say that Sam came out of the ordeal `clean', and |
| the prison, and you could have many, many days of | | | | has been clean and sober and an upright citizen for |
| intense treatment! | | | | the last 7 years, in spite of the system!) This case |
| So, what's the answer? Do we keep building more | | | | was in New Hampshire. |
| prisons? Do we keep taking more breadwinners | | | | Back to the alternatives: |
| away from the family? Do we keep creating more | | | | Arizona established a program 4 years ago, instigated |
| felons, with the monumental consequences of | | | | by a citizen's initiative! In Arizona, people convicted of |
| wearing that label? (A convicted felon nearly always | | | | drug possession have their sentences suspended, are |
| has serious difficulties finding decent employment | | | | placed on probation and assigned to a drug |
| once he is released. Today, in healthcare- hospitals | | | | treatment or education program. Those who violate |
| and nursing homes are prohibited by law of hiring | | | | probation may be ordered by the court to participate |
| felons. Most countries won't let a felon in for a visit | | | | in intensified drug treatment, community service, |
| vacation. And the list goes on.) | | | | home arrest, etc.-anything short of prison. Their |
| California took a bold and innovative step. Their | | | | statistics showed the persons were getting off |
| Proposition 36, passed by 61% of the electorate, | | | | drugs. |
| imposes treatment rather than imprisonment for | | | | In 1998, the state saved $5 million in prison costs |
| first-and many second -time drug possession | | | | while spending $2.1 million on substance abuse |
| offenses. The conviction is then automatically | | | | treatment. |
| removed from the person's record after he or she | | | | In Nevada, a pilot program is releasing 150 inmates six |
| completes treatment. | | | | months early on the condition that they participate in |
| California expects to divert as many as 36,000 | | | | a court supervised treatment program for at least a |
| offenders from prison annually, with this new law. | | | | year. |
| Their legislative analyst's office estimates that the | | | | Both Nebraska and Ohio are considering similar |
| program could save California between $200-$250 | | | | proposals to those of California and Nevada. |
| million every year! | | | | In Utah, drug offenders make up 22% of the prison |
| One challenge facing California is that there aren't | | | | population. They are looking at options such as day |
| nearly enough drug treatment centers to handle the | | | | reporting centers, court supervised treatment |
| expected influx of diverted offenders. Drug | | | | programs and electronic monitoring. |
| rehabilitation centers are just as scarce in virtually | | | | Possessing marijuana is still a criminal offense in most |
| every state. | | | | states. Are we filling our prisons with users who offer |
| Let's get off the statistical `train' for a moment, and | | | | no real danger to society? It's time to seriously look |
| let me relate a specific case of which I'm personally | | | | at alternative options to locking up drug users. We |
| aware. | | | | could save a lot of money, keep families together, |
| A 31 year old man, living in one county, was a | | | | and with good rehabilitation programs in place, ensure |
| marijuana user. He was gainfully employed, and | | | | that many users would not re-offend. |