Re: OT-Just when you think it couldn't get any worse

[G. Morgan <alarmpro@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:36:25 -0800, "Doug" <not@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Unfuckingbelievable
>
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6142416.stm?ls


Seems to me maybe the point has been missed.  Drug addiction is
considered a disease.  The fellows in the jailhouse probably wanted to
stay on the methadone indefinitely during the stay, but they may have
a point.

Detoxifying off narcotics is extremely dangerous from what I read, and
if someone is locked up with no access to decent healthcare (or the
illicit drug) the consequences can be fatal.

There is a huge stigma attached to addiction in general.  Whether the
substance is food, alcohol, prescription drugs, or illicit chemicals.
There generally is  no sympathy for the substance abuser for folks
that are not educated on the subject.  Many 'normal' people see
addiction as weakness or lack of willpower when judging the addict.

What is needed  in the system is rehabilitation rather than punishment
for the addicts.  It's estimated that near 80% of the incarcerated are
there for drug related crimes.  That includes petty theft and
shoplifting to get drug money, as well as 4th time DUI offenders and
drug dealers.  The recidivism rate for these inmates is high largely
because society deems addiction as a crime, rather than a medical
problem that while not curable - is treatable.

The solution lies not in sending armed troops to Columbia or
Afghanistan  (which has miserably failed) to shut off production. The
solution is to reduce demand right here.  People need to be educated,
starting in grade school.  The Nancy Reagan "Just Say No" thing was a
fuckin'  joke.

I am a firm believer that each generation is smarter than the prior,
it's evolution.  If we citizens ignore the drug problem and think it
doesn't affect us, and continue to pretend it's not 'our problem', the
cycle will continue.   You can't just lock up the lepers.  Something
has to be done to PREVENT the rampant disease when possible - the
shift in thinking needs to be proactive -not- reactive to this mess.
Every single one of you reading this has a family member that is an
alcoholic or an addict.

The Texas prison system was renamed from "Texas Department of
Corrections", to "Texas Department of Criminal Justice".  Which
implies they are not going to try and  'correct or rehabilitate'
individuals - they are going to deliver Texas justice - they're going
to punish the inmates with no attempt to prepare them for release into
society.  This policy pretty much guarantees the recidivism rate will
stay high.  Since most inmates are drug addicts or alcoholic it would
behoove the 'system' AND our society to focus on treatment rather than
punishment.


--

-Graham

(delete the double e's to email)