There are a various ways of treating addiction. Various methods from drug court (out of Vancouver, BC), to treatment centres, to 12-step fellowships and behaviourial modification programs. And then there is jail.
The fact is roughly 10 to 15% of the population is afflicted with a physical and mental disorder that is medically identified as addiction. While these people account for roughly 1/10 of the population, they are disproportionately represented in the legal system.
According to a recent Washington Post article, it is estimated that 70% of the people in US state prisons and local jails have abused drugs (including alcohol) regularly, compared with approximately 9% of the general population.
That is a staggering statistic. Yet, all too often, addiction is deemed to be an outside issue when addressing and dealing with offenders in the court system. As a judicial system based upon a punitive model, we are more concerned with incarceration (and debt due to society through loss of physical freedom) then we are in treating and dealing with the underlying causes of crime.
The same Washington Post article also states that a preliminary report released by the FBI in June shows an increase in robberies and violent crime in 2005.
In Canada, a different trajectory is taking shape. Based on data reported by police services across the country, Canada's crime rate fell a marginal 1% last year (a reduction that continues the 15 year reduction of crime since 1991, when rates peaked).
However, despite the overall reduction in crime rates, there is alarming evidence that the rate of incidents involving drug and alcohol abuse increased by 11% in 2005.
Given the direct correlation between drug and alcohol abuse and crime, it is important, as a society and as a judicial system, that we acknowledge the role addiction plays in the lives of offenders.
Crimes associated with drug abuse include sale or possession of drugs; property crimes; prostitution; and violent crimes that reflect out of control behaviour.
As a result reports show that drug abuse is involved in more than half of all violent crimes! And in 60 to 80% of child abuse and neglect cases.
That same FBI report also states that in 2002, approximately 60% of male juvenile detainees and 46% of female detainees tested positive for drug use. As a result, the estimated cost to society for the drug abuse and the subsequent crimes is pegged at $181 billion!
The fact is, when addicts enter the judicial system, it signals a crisis moment. It is at this moment that addicts can become acutely aware of the consequences of their actions and the futility of their dependence. However, the refusal by the majority of our courts, police services and societal systems to acknowledge this moment and treat the addict means that the punitive state of our judicial system takes over and the incarceration of the addict (rather than the rehabilation of the addict) takes precedence.
Again, the Washington Post article states that numerous "studies have consistently shown that comprehensive drug treatment works. It not only reduces drug use but also curtails criminal behavior and recidivism. Moreover, for drug-abusing offenders, treatment facilitates successful reentry into the community. This is true even for people who enter treatment under legal mandate."
Despite strong evidence for the benefits of treatment, our Prime Minister maintains his election platform which includes a get tough on crime mandate (particularly on drug-related crime). Despite how hollow his promises for safety and security appear given the link between socio-economic policy, drug abuse and crime, Mr. Harper appears to be pushing ahead on this tough-on-crime stance.
Now, let's flip back to the evidence: "In a Delaware work-release research study sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, those who participated in prison-based treatment -- followed by ongoing post-release care -- were seven times more likely to be drug-free and three times more likely to be arrest-free after three years than those who received no treatment. Other studies report similar findings. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that substance-abuse treatment cuts drug abuse in half and reduces criminal activity by as much as 80%."
The question, then, is why would our trusted national leader follow tried, tested and FAILED methods of crime reduction when all studies point to the benefits of drug and alcohol treatment in the reduction (and prevention) of crime?
One proferred reason is that "addiction is still often seen as something for the individual to deal with." The other, obvious reason, is cost.
Both reasons play into the Conservative mentality. As with most conservative practitioners, the individual is considered the supreme state of automony. As a result the individual is deemed responsible for dealing with issues, such as addiction.
While this perspective is true in the long run (for example, 12-step fellowships ASSUME that each person is responsible for admitting a problem and for working towards a solution) it does not take into account the necessity for opportunity. In otherwords, without the opportunity to take responsibility an addict is left with little or no solution.
Once a person has a entered into the court system, the opportunity to seek out treatment (either through a program or through a 12-step fellowship) is limited. As a result, it is OUR responsiblity as a society to provide contingency options - options that replace the punitive, self-perpetuating sentences that currently dominate our judicial system.
This means we need to start focusing and implementing treatment and rehabilitation, rather than new, sound-bite "get tough on crime" band-aid solutions.
Because in the end, only rehabilitation (through treatment) helps save lives and protect communities.
To read the Washington Post article go to:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081800799.html
To read about Canada's crime rate statistics go to:
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050721/d050721a.htm
For more stories linking addiction and crime go to:
http://www.treatmentonline.com/treatments.php?id=806
http://www.druglibrary.org/special/goode/bpr9.htm
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
nice hat
Post a Comment