Not so sure that it would work out any better if we initiated massive treatment plans - can’t see how that would be a lot cheaper than prison, particularly if you’re treating people on an in-patient basis, which is by far the mos successful way to deal with drug addiction. Outpatient treatment, even when it’s elective and not pushed on someone by the state, has a huge failure rate.
Given that a lot of these prisoners who are in jail “for drugs” have also commited other crimes that are related to their drug habits, I’m not convinced a massive treatment plan would save any money for the state, or even take much pressure off of the prisons - unless you build a lot of in-patient treatment facilities, which would simply move people from prison to the hospital, which would, presumably, also be state run.
You have to spend money to deal with the problem no matter how you look at it.
Comment by Captain D. — Friday, August 24, 2024 @ 6:10 pm
I can’t quote numbers, but there is little doubt that treatment is cheaper than imprisonment.
We are also talking about a lot of people in prison who have otherwise done nothing other than possess a relatively small amount of drugs–not to mention the insane amounts of money spent and people imprisoned to protect society from marijuana.
There is no doubt at all that we are not getting our money’s worth out of these policies.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Friday, August 24, 2024 @ 7:46 pm
Not so sure that it would work out any better if we initiated massive treatment plans - can’t see how that would be a lot cheaper than prison, particularly if you’re treating people on an in-patient basis, which is by far the mos successful way to deal with drug addiction. Outpatient treatment, even when it’s elective and not pushed on someone by the state, has a huge failure rate.
Given that a lot of these prisoners who are in jail “for drugs” have also commited other crimes that are related to their drug habits, I’m not convinced a massive treatment plan would save any money for the state, or even take much pressure off of the prisons - unless you build a lot of in-patient treatment facilities, which would simply move people from prison to the hospital, which would, presumably, also be state run.
You have to spend money to deal with the problem no matter how you look at it.
Comment by Captain D. — Friday, August 24, 2024 @ 6:10 pm
I can’t quote numbers, but there is little doubt that treatment is cheaper than imprisonment.
We are also talking about a lot of people in prison who have otherwise done nothing other than possess a relatively small amount of drugs–not to mention the insane amounts of money spent and people imprisoned to protect society from marijuana.
There is no doubt at all that we are not getting our money’s worth out of these policies.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Friday, August 24, 2024 @ 7:46 pm