I want to say this could end up costing more in the long run because more offenders are going to be arrested more times, for instance if you got caught with crack and do 3 years, come out get caught and do another three. The intake process, court hearings and such, even the jail = taxpayer money.
But we are spending so much money on "camp" (3 hots and a cot) that 15 years for drug offenders is absurd. If they are selling rather than using it makes more sense but once again we are treating the symptoms not the issue.
If the jails had better substance abuse counseling programs then the people could come out of jail and not be jonsin.
People who have issues with drugs on the outside usually take 3 months to up 2 years of counseling that they pay for. If a person is locked up for 10 years they should come out with enough knowledge to run a substance abuse program.
Granted you can't teach people who don't want to learn, just like you have to fulfill requirements to pass or graduate inpatient or outpatient substance abuse programs, people in jail (for those issues) should be required to complete before being released.
1. There's a huge problem of substance usage within jails in america.
2. Most of the programs are so shytty the only requirement is attendance. Being removed from your substance of choice forcibly isn't sobriety.
That's like if crack vanished for 20 years then suddenly it came back. Just because you couldn't have it or get it doesn't mean your sober and it's not an issue.
