People in the US have a hard on for dealing punishment to people. They have no interest in rehabilitating people. Thats why people wish that criminals get raped in jail so often. It seems really backwards to jail someone for a petty drug crime because now they have a felony on their record. If they didnt feel hopeless about their future before, now they sure do because it will be nearly impossible for them to get a good job and contribute to society. Instead it just creates a cycle of poverty which makes criminals have to stay criminals to survive. I would prefer to send drug offenders to rehab and pair them with a psychologist / life coach to help set people on the straight and narrow. The tax payer already pays for them to go to jail, why not send them to rehab instead ? Even if the rehab % rate of curing people is low, so is the % rate of jailed people who fix their lives.
Wel I think I agree on the prison thing. I have heard people say 'why should druggies get their treatments free, I have to pay for my healthcare. Well dude you're paying more for them to be in prison. I got into a huge argument with my BIL about it actually. just after I'd moved here.
Part of the problem is that treating someone for addiction as you've said involves far more than simply making them stop taking something. If that were the case, it'd be easy. But if you live in an area with high and easy drug availability, and are known to be a user, then you are targetted by them again as soon as you get back. Studies have shown the most successful way to get off and stay off drugs is to get away. But that's hugely expensive as an intervention. People aren't prepared to accept that.
The treatment that gives the best results from a social point of view; reduction in crime, reduction in harm, ability to hold down a job, increase in literacy and interaction with education is long-term methadone treatment. Yeah, drug users think methadone is like cooking chocolate in comparison to heroin which is more 70% cocoa dark goodness, but long-term studies show it's damned effective.
Politically, it's the poor relation. Which leaves health care providers giving poorer care than they know they can to people who aren't really interested in the treatment being offered. More jail, more $$$, more deaths, and the politicians don't care.
