Drugs and Crime

Why are so many drug addicts in jail? In the UK, part of the answer might be: because they want treatment. A new study claims that a third of the criminals with drug addiction surveyed say that they thought getting sentenced to a drug treatment program was a good way of getting into a drug treatment program. (Link via Vice Squad)

Comments

[John Doe]

I read somewhere that drug treatment was more likely to succeed when it contained an element of coercion. Indeed it seems reasonable that prisons or similar institutions might help some addicts more than drug treatment alone.

[Andy D.]

John Doe's probably right... but I always hate the idea of making laws cater to retarded people.

[damaged justice]

Here in the united states, the people being coerced into "drug treatment programs" are required to directly pay for the cost of that treatment. Same thing for pretty much any "counseling" you are coerced into. The mental health industry has learned from, and how to work with, the law enforcement growth industry in order to force as many people as possible to buy their products and services.