| Drug Rehab and incarceration is examined in | | | | laws the consensus among addiction professionals |
| California's Proposition 5. In California as in the rest of | | | | was that addicts needed treatment not prison. The |
| the country we continue to struggle financially. The | | | | outcry in our country, that something had to be done |
| search to cut costs may have a profound affect on | | | | about the rising drug problem and crimes associated |
| how we as a country address the growing population | | | | with drug use allowed elected officials to implement |
| of drug addicts in prisons. A one time savings of 2.5 | | | | the laws that are in affect today. State and federal |
| Billion will be realized in California if Proposition 5 is | | | | funds were switched from social agencies to prisons |
| passed. | | | | and the inmate population swelled to what it is today. |
| Nonviolent offenders in drug related cases would | | | | It appears we have come full circle and addicts that |
| have the option of receiving treatment rather than | | | | find their way into our drug courts will have the |
| incarceration. This would significantly lower the prison | | | | opportunity to attend drug rehab centers. The |
| population averting the cost of new prison | | | | implementation of an adequate screening process |
| construction. Cutting costs in the state budget is not | | | | would be a good start to a new system. There are |
| the primary concern of this proposition but it is | | | | those that deserve to be behind bars and those that |
| probably a useful argument in the current financial | | | | will benefit from drug abuse treatment. As the |
| atmosphere. | | | | pendulum swings in the direction of rehabilitation |
| Offering Addiction Treatment to drug offenders is | | | | something has to change or the opponents will once |
| certainly not a new idea. Prior to legislation that | | | | again climb on their judicial platform. |
| dictated longer prison sentences and stricter drug | | | | |