How many are incarcerated due to drug related crimes?
I am one. In the Women's Community Correctional Center, Kailua, Hawaii. 95% of inmates are there for drug related crimes. I only met 2 woman who never did drugs, when I was incarcerated. The sad thing is at that time, 1997-2000, there were only 15 beds in the therapeutic community, for substance abuse. I fortunate to be in that program. We all know there is a fight against drugs in our country. More & more drug addicts are going to prison and not getting the help that they need. I feel if there were more treatment centers, or more money for the people who need treatment, maybe the prisons would not be so overcrowded, because the crime rate will slowly decline. Love to hear what anyone else has to say about building and supporting more treatment, versus, building and supporting more prisons.
Aloha, Kaleilehua

My sentiments exactly!!! The prison system is overused and abused. The whole purpose of the prison system was supposed to be to protect society from harmful people.

Addicts are being housed instead of getting the treatment they need. And when there is treatment available, it's usually just touching the top of the disease.

The system is dominated by people who have never known an addict or who has never personally used so it doesn't surprise me that it isn't working. What I see it doing is making it a merry go round for the addict. The jail time, the fines, the constant court appearances that aren't kept, more fines, then prison... It's a system that sets the weaker up for failure.

I am new to PTO. I am glad to have found this site. My guy is in Coffee Creek, Oregon waiting to be moved to a permanent facility. Does any one know how the AIP programs work. He was sentanced to 30 months, with having to do 13 months in prison before being eligiable for the programs. He is in for his 5th DUII. He really needs the programs. He is telling me because the prisons are so full he may have a chance to go directly to progams if there is a bed available. Does anyone know how this works