Marci Warner
English 1010
Mr. Jorgenson
12/1/2014
Treatment versus Incarceration
There has to be a better way to help people who struggle with addiction. Our system is flawed and stereotypes are easily made. There needs to be treatment options instead of long-term incarceration for the addicted population. As the death toll and incarceration rates climb, new solutions are being investigated. Drug Court for offending alcoholics/addicts could possibly be the best intervention for addiction and help decrease the prison population. Many addicts are incarcerated instead of getting substance abuse treatment. Drug Court has cheaper, more successful outcomes then incarceration for addicts/alcoholics.
Substance abuse among Americans continues to be an ongoing issue. The addicted population continues to be incarcerated just to get out and repeat the same destructive behaviors. Drug Court or some kind of structured treatment has been researched and proven to be the best and cheapest alternative for drug offenders. In fact, every year billions of the tax payer’s dollars are used to incarcerate people that have committed drug related crimes. According to N.C. Aizeman for The Washington Post, “More than one in 100 adult Americans are in jail or prison, an all-time high that is costing state governments nearly $50 billion a year, in addition to more than $5 billion spent by the federal government.”
As it stands now, only 1.9 percent of every dollar our federal and state governments spend on substance use and addictions go to pay for prevention and treatment. 95.6 percent pay for the consequences such as costs of housing an inmate. That means we are shelling out billions of dollars to clean up the mess of addiction rather than putting it toward helping people to overcome it. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) in 2010 a study determined that if we gave quality addiction treatment and aftercare to every inmate who needed it, we’d break even on the investment in only a year if just ten percent were successful in staying employed, out of trouble and drug free. In dollar terms, that translates to an economic benefit for the nation of more than $90,000 annually per former inmate.
On October 25, 2014 the Federal Bureau of Prisons reported that 98,082 inmates were there for drug related offences. That is 48.7% of the inmate population. The National Prisoners Statistics Program states, “War on Drugs, which led to long-term prison sentences for drug offenders, is largely considered a massive failure that led to prison overcrowding without significantly changing U.S. drug abuse rates.” I agree that it is a massive failure. Drug use has not been reduced by these strict laws. Our prisons are overflowing so much that they release prisoners early, in order to allow more in. Today, America has the highest rates in U.S. history and instead of promoting rehabilitation; the addicted population continues to be sent to jail or prison.
Even if a drug addict goes to prison and wants to change, the environmental influences people internally and externally. An example of this would be the Stanford Prison Experiment. Nine college students volunteered and were randomly picked to participate in a prison study to show how prison can affect normal, average, healthy people. By random assignment half of the students were picked to be inmate guards and the other half were picked to be the inmates. Right from the beginning, the guards started to act aggressively, abusing the false sense of power created by the scenario.
The students started taking away privileges like eating, sleeping, showering along with days of solitary confinement. The normal stable students that were assigned to be the prisoners experienced fits of rage, depression and many other stress related symptoms. The prisoners became more fragile and passive while the guards became more mentally hostile and physically abusive. When a person is sentenced to be in prison for a long period of time, one has no choice but to conform to the social reality. Many people that come out of prison are institutionalized and hardened because of the things they witnessed or had taken part in. Throwing drug offenders in jail is not going to stop the problem, but only worsen the issue.
Of the more than 2.3 million people in American prisons and jail, more than 65 percent meet medical criteria for substance abuse addiction. When you combine this with those who have histories of substance abuse, were under the influence when they committed a crime to get drug money, or incarcerated for a drug or alcohol violation, the percentage rises to 85 percent (Sack 2014.)
The most disturbing thing is that inmates who do hope to kick an addiction can’t count on getting the help they need. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University found that only 11 percent of inmates with substance use disorders received treatment at a federal or state prison or local jails. The best that most can hope for is occasional mutual support or peer counseling meetings. No wonder more than half the inmates with addiction histories relapse within a month of release.
Many different tactics have been used in the past to try to stop or control the overwhelming drug problem in the United States; nevertheless, narcotics are still very easy to obtain. Dating back to the Nancy Reagan campaign of “Just say No”, the pressing issue of what drugs were doing to people’s lives was clear; it was destroying them. When crack-cocaine really surfaced in the 1980’s, the chaos began and the vicious cycle of addiction and crime hit the streets. The crime rate was sky-rocketing and the justice system had to take action, such as the “three strikes law”, which meant that if the same crime was committed three times it could possibly carry a minimum of a ten year prison sentence. This law was aimed more toward violent offenders, but the drug related crimes took the brunt of it. Imprisonment might clean people up for the time being, but it does not help the underlying issue: the disease of addiction.
Part of the reason may be a failure to understand how addiction works. Many still expect prison to scare addicts straight. The worst experience the less inclined they’ll be to use drugs in the future and a risk of return, right? So why invest in treatment? It is not that simple when you’re an addict. Addiction is a chronic illness that needs long-term care, much like diabetes or heart disease.
Addiction has not always been recognized as a disease or even a mental health issue. After many years of research, it was not until the1970’s that the medicalization of alcoholism/substance dependency was recognized in the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual as a disease. There are many definitions of what addiction is, but this one sums up what many medical doctors, psychologists, counselors and social workers say. “Addiction is a primary, progressive chronic disease with genetic, psychological and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over use of the substance, preoccupation with the substance, use of the substance despite adverse consequences and distortions in thinking” (Morse & Flavin, 1992).
Sadly, many people that get thrown into jail or prison never get the chance to treat or learn how to manage this disease. They get out and either die on the streets or end up right back in jail. It has taken a long time to find a middle ground, but Drug Court may be a step in the right direction.
Drug Court is an option for people that do not have a history of violent crimes. The charges they do have must be drug related. This is a very difficult form of treatment and one must agree to follow all the rules and regulations set forth by the court. If a person successfully completes the program, their charges are dismissed and their criminal records are removed.
The reason why Drug Court has been so successful is because it integrates both structure from the criminal justice system and ideals behind substance abuse treatment. It requires random drug testing, getting a job, intensive therapy and community service. Not only have more people succeeded, but the statistics and the research continue to show the positive results that Drug Court gives over going to prison. In 2005, 57% of Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison, DTAP, participants were rearrested for any offense at least once in the follow-up period compared with 75% of the comparison group. Similarly, only 42% of DTAP participants were reconvicted of any offense compared with 65% of the prison comparison group. Finally, only 3% of the DTAP participants had a new jail sentence compared with 51% of prison comparisons and only 7% had a new prison sentence compared with 18% of the prison comparisons, (Belenko, 2005).
Catie Cartisano is a drug and alcohol counselor at First Step House treatment center. I am told that many of her clients are currently in the Drug Court program. “It is a hard program but the results of hard work will pay off in the end. Drug Court has been the most successful program that we see with our clients. Addicts need guidance and tools that can help them maintain sobriety. Incarceration only gives someone a consequence for their actions, not solve the original problem.”
I personally fought with the battle of addiction for several years. I repeated the same destructive behaviors over and over. I knew no other way of life than using drugs. Incarceration stopped me from using drugs for the time being. Whether it was a few days or a few months it didn’t matter. It was only teaching me to avoid getting caught. I spent months and months behind bars trying to figure out a way to stop using drugs. I would get out and go right back to the same life style. Then I would get arrested again. It was an on-going cycle that needed to be broken.
I finally went to a drug/alcohol treatment center for help with my addiction. This is where I was taught how to be a productive member of society without using drugs. It gave me the proper guidance to get my life in order. It taught me communication skills that I never had. I gained the tools and methods I needed to stay sober and out of jail. Jail didn’t teach me how to live, it was a punishment for how I was living. Treatment saved my life and taught me how to live.
Works Cited
Aizeman, N.C. (2008, May). The High Cost of Incarceration: Nation and World; The Washington Post
Cox, G. Ph.D., Brown, L. R.N., Ph.D. Morgan, C. Ph.D. In association with the Alcohol and Drug Institute, University of Washington. (2001, July 13). Washington State Drug Court Evaluation Project: Final Report (01-01). Prepared for the Northwest High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Washington Div. of Alcohol and Substance Abuse / DSHS.
Federal Bureau of Prison (2014)
Georgia, Gainesville; Hall County. (2011, Feb.24). Drug Courts: Stay Out of Jail Clean. The best way to keep drug offenders from returning to prison. The Economist (from print edition)
Huddleston, W. (2009, Oct.22). Drug Courts Are the Most Sensible and Proven Alternative to Incarceration: So what’s the Problem? Los Angeles Daily Journal
National Prisoner Statistics Program
Nolan, J. L. (2003 January) Reinventing Justice: The American Drug Court Movement/ First Edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Roper, C.N., PhD, LCDC. Definitions and Characteristics of Addiction. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 68(8) (Moris & Flavin 1992)
Sack, David (2104, Aug. 12) We can’t afford to ignore drug addiction in prison. The Washington Post
Wallace-Wells, B. (2007, Dec. 13) How America Lost the War on Drugs. Rolling Stone Magazine
Zarkin, G. A., Dunlap, L.J., Belenko, S. & Dynia, P.A, "A Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Kings County District Attorney's Office Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) Program," Justice Research and Policy, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Washington, DC: Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2005) p. 20
Zimbardo, P., Gerrig, R.J., (2007). Psychology and Life. (pp.514-515) Boston, MA. Pearson Education Inc.
English 1010
Mr. Jorgenson
12/1/2014
Treatment versus Incarceration
There has to be a better way to help people who struggle with addiction. Our system is flawed and stereotypes are easily made. There needs to be treatment options instead of long-term incarceration for the addicted population. As the death toll and incarceration rates climb, new solutions are being investigated. Drug Court for offending alcoholics/addicts could possibly be the best intervention for addiction and help decrease the prison population. Many addicts are incarcerated instead of getting substance abuse treatment. Drug Court has cheaper, more successful outcomes then incarceration for addicts/alcoholics.
Substance abuse among Americans continues to be an ongoing issue. The addicted population continues to be incarcerated just to get out and repeat the same destructive behaviors. Drug Court or some kind of structured treatment has been researched and proven to be the best and cheapest alternative for drug offenders. In fact, every year billions of the tax payer’s dollars are used to incarcerate people that have committed drug related crimes. According to N.C. Aizeman for The Washington Post, “More than one in 100 adult Americans are in jail or prison, an all-time high that is costing state governments nearly $50 billion a year, in addition to more than $5 billion spent by the federal government.”
As it stands now, only 1.9 percent of every dollar our federal and state governments spend on substance use and addictions go to pay for prevention and treatment. 95.6 percent pay for the consequences such as costs of housing an inmate. That means we are shelling out billions of dollars to clean up the mess of addiction rather than putting it toward helping people to overcome it. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) in 2010 a study determined that if we gave quality addiction treatment and aftercare to every inmate who needed it, we’d break even on the investment in only a year if just ten percent were successful in staying employed, out of trouble and drug free. In dollar terms, that translates to an economic benefit for the nation of more than $90,000 annually per former inmate.
On October 25, 2014 the Federal Bureau of Prisons reported that 98,082 inmates were there for drug related offences. That is 48.7% of the inmate population. The National Prisoners Statistics Program states, “War on Drugs, which led to long-term prison sentences for drug offenders, is largely considered a massive failure that led to prison overcrowding without significantly changing U.S. drug abuse rates.” I agree that it is a massive failure. Drug use has not been reduced by these strict laws. Our prisons are overflowing so much that they release prisoners early, in order to allow more in. Today, America has the highest rates in U.S. history and instead of promoting rehabilitation; the addicted population continues to be sent to jail or prison.
Even if a drug addict goes to prison and wants to change, the environmental influences people internally and externally. An example of this would be the Stanford Prison Experiment. Nine college students volunteered and were randomly picked to participate in a prison study to show how prison can affect normal, average, healthy people. By random assignment half of the students were picked to be inmate guards and the other half were picked to be the inmates. Right from the beginning, the guards started to act aggressively, abusing the false sense of power created by the scenario.
The students started taking away privileges like eating, sleeping, showering along with days of solitary confinement. The normal stable students that were assigned to be the prisoners experienced fits of rage, depression and many other stress related symptoms. The prisoners became more fragile and passive while the guards became more mentally hostile and physically abusive. When a person is sentenced to be in prison for a long period of time, one has no choice but to conform to the social reality. Many people that come out of prison are institutionalized and hardened because of the things they witnessed or had taken part in. Throwing drug offenders in jail is not going to stop the problem, but only worsen the issue.
Of the more than 2.3 million people in American prisons and jail, more than 65 percent meet medical criteria for substance abuse addiction. When you combine this with those who have histories of substance abuse, were under the influence when they committed a crime to get drug money, or incarcerated for a drug or alcohol violation, the percentage rises to 85 percent (Sack 2014.)
The most disturbing thing is that inmates who do hope to kick an addiction can’t count on getting the help they need. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University found that only 11 percent of inmates with substance use disorders received treatment at a federal or state prison or local jails. The best that most can hope for is occasional mutual support or peer counseling meetings. No wonder more than half the inmates with addiction histories relapse within a month of release.
Many different tactics have been used in the past to try to stop or control the overwhelming drug problem in the United States; nevertheless, narcotics are still very easy to obtain. Dating back to the Nancy Reagan campaign of “Just say No”, the pressing issue of what drugs were doing to people’s lives was clear; it was destroying them. When crack-cocaine really surfaced in the 1980’s, the chaos began and the vicious cycle of addiction and crime hit the streets. The crime rate was sky-rocketing and the justice system had to take action, such as the “three strikes law”, which meant that if the same crime was committed three times it could possibly carry a minimum of a ten year prison sentence. This law was aimed more toward violent offenders, but the drug related crimes took the brunt of it. Imprisonment might clean people up for the time being, but it does not help the underlying issue: the disease of addiction.
Part of the reason may be a failure to understand how addiction works. Many still expect prison to scare addicts straight. The worst experience the less inclined they’ll be to use drugs in the future and a risk of return, right? So why invest in treatment? It is not that simple when you’re an addict. Addiction is a chronic illness that needs long-term care, much like diabetes or heart disease.
Addiction has not always been recognized as a disease or even a mental health issue. After many years of research, it was not until the1970’s that the medicalization of alcoholism/substance dependency was recognized in the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual as a disease. There are many definitions of what addiction is, but this one sums up what many medical doctors, psychologists, counselors and social workers say. “Addiction is a primary, progressive chronic disease with genetic, psychological and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over use of the substance, preoccupation with the substance, use of the substance despite adverse consequences and distortions in thinking” (Morse & Flavin, 1992).
Sadly, many people that get thrown into jail or prison never get the chance to treat or learn how to manage this disease. They get out and either die on the streets or end up right back in jail. It has taken a long time to find a middle ground, but Drug Court may be a step in the right direction.
Drug Court is an option for people that do not have a history of violent crimes. The charges they do have must be drug related. This is a very difficult form of treatment and one must agree to follow all the rules and regulations set forth by the court. If a person successfully completes the program, their charges are dismissed and their criminal records are removed.
The reason why Drug Court has been so successful is because it integrates both structure from the criminal justice system and ideals behind substance abuse treatment. It requires random drug testing, getting a job, intensive therapy and community service. Not only have more people succeeded, but the statistics and the research continue to show the positive results that Drug Court gives over going to prison. In 2005, 57% of Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison, DTAP, participants were rearrested for any offense at least once in the follow-up period compared with 75% of the comparison group. Similarly, only 42% of DTAP participants were reconvicted of any offense compared with 65% of the prison comparison group. Finally, only 3% of the DTAP participants had a new jail sentence compared with 51% of prison comparisons and only 7% had a new prison sentence compared with 18% of the prison comparisons, (Belenko, 2005).
Catie Cartisano is a drug and alcohol counselor at First Step House treatment center. I am told that many of her clients are currently in the Drug Court program. “It is a hard program but the results of hard work will pay off in the end. Drug Court has been the most successful program that we see with our clients. Addicts need guidance and tools that can help them maintain sobriety. Incarceration only gives someone a consequence for their actions, not solve the original problem.”
I personally fought with the battle of addiction for several years. I repeated the same destructive behaviors over and over. I knew no other way of life than using drugs. Incarceration stopped me from using drugs for the time being. Whether it was a few days or a few months it didn’t matter. It was only teaching me to avoid getting caught. I spent months and months behind bars trying to figure out a way to stop using drugs. I would get out and go right back to the same life style. Then I would get arrested again. It was an on-going cycle that needed to be broken.
I finally went to a drug/alcohol treatment center for help with my addiction. This is where I was taught how to be a productive member of society without using drugs. It gave me the proper guidance to get my life in order. It taught me communication skills that I never had. I gained the tools and methods I needed to stay sober and out of jail. Jail didn’t teach me how to live, it was a punishment for how I was living. Treatment saved my life and taught me how to live.
Works Cited
Aizeman, N.C. (2008, May). The High Cost of Incarceration: Nation and World; The Washington Post
Cox, G. Ph.D., Brown, L. R.N., Ph.D. Morgan, C. Ph.D. In association with the Alcohol and Drug Institute, University of Washington. (2001, July 13). Washington State Drug Court Evaluation Project: Final Report (01-01). Prepared for the Northwest High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Washington Div. of Alcohol and Substance Abuse / DSHS.
Federal Bureau of Prison (2014)
Georgia, Gainesville; Hall County. (2011, Feb.24). Drug Courts: Stay Out of Jail Clean. The best way to keep drug offenders from returning to prison. The Economist (from print edition)
Huddleston, W. (2009, Oct.22). Drug Courts Are the Most Sensible and Proven Alternative to Incarceration: So what’s the Problem? Los Angeles Daily Journal
National Prisoner Statistics Program
Nolan, J. L. (2003 January) Reinventing Justice: The American Drug Court Movement/ First Edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Roper, C.N., PhD, LCDC. Definitions and Characteristics of Addiction. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 68(8) (Moris & Flavin 1992)
Sack, David (2104, Aug. 12) We can’t afford to ignore drug addiction in prison. The Washington Post
Wallace-Wells, B. (2007, Dec. 13) How America Lost the War on Drugs. Rolling Stone Magazine
Zarkin, G. A., Dunlap, L.J., Belenko, S. & Dynia, P.A, "A Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Kings County District Attorney's Office Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) Program," Justice Research and Policy, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Washington, DC: Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2005) p. 20
Zimbardo, P., Gerrig, R.J., (2007). Psychology and Life. (pp.514-515) Boston, MA. Pearson Education Inc.