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America’s efforts to reduce illegal drug traffic is not reaping big benefits.  It is chewing up 20% of U.S. spending.  Here is one idea that for some reform that can turn this around.   Its text  from a letter I sent to the Drug Policy Alliance who is pushing support for Senator Webb’s work.

“A big part of my concern is a costly prison system, where SUD/MH (Substance use disorder/ mental health) gets little or no address, which with screening could be a good place to start treatment for jail bound addicts.  Here’s what I see.

• Proactive judicial and prison systems that screens offenders and inmates for SUD/MH treatment diversion.
  

• Re-classification and/or dismissal of non-violent petty crimes stemming from SUD/MH, based on the success of treatment and victim restitution.

• Re-classification of narcotic drug “use” related offenses to a civil status and a re-designation of marijuana “use” to civil or a “no offense” status.
  

• Public funding and treatment of SUD/MH outside the prison system based on a sliding scale of client financial contribution and/or contributing service.

Broad reform has a realistic possibility of showing how cost is assimilated.  Regarding drug and alcohol abuse, N.I.D.A. estimates 480B is already spent on incarceration, judicial work, demand reduction and general societal damage.  A 1/3 of that goes directly to prisons.  These expenditures are firmly entrenched in federal and local penal budgets.  If a third of inmates are SUD/MH identified by screening, then that part of the job has begun.  We have them.  We keep them. We treat them.  If we don’t, we know they will be back to impact to the system.  The cost doesn’t go away. This is also known as the revolving door.

If the same energy spent criminalizing addiction is transformed into treatment, funding is already there!  The more we de-criminalize and treat, the less need for incarceration. This reduces demand for an illegal drug market.  The message needs to go to the ears of lawmakers from voices from American’s impacted by the scourge of addiction”  dadonfire

This is the time for change.  An opportunity to expand treatment and recovery options.  The ONDCP will complete their strategies this year and Webb’s National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 is coming to a head at the end of 2010.  Here are Webb’s main points:  The USA has 5% of the world’s population and houses 25% of all prisoners  •  Incarcerated drug offenders grew 1200% since 1980  •   Four times as many mentally ill people are in prisons than in mental health hospitals  •  A million gang members and drug cartels operate in 230+ communities across the country  •  Post-incarceration re-entry programs are haphazard and often nonexistent, undermining public safety and making it extremely difficult for ex-offenders to become full, contributing members of society.   READ A FACT SHEET ON THE BILL HERE

Community input on the bullet points in this fact sheet are critical.  We can look at addiction and mental impairment screening of new offenders and inmates with immediate diversion of addicts to venues of compulsory treatment.  Costs can be covered by the same funds we already waste.  We can look at re-categorizing criminal charges based on successful diversion of  non violent offenders.  Right now, diversion options for drug addicted offenders to treatment misses most addicts because of their crime category.  When jailed, untreated addicts are released and continue to use.  This is the revolving door of jails and drugs.  We can also expand and fund drug courts.   Addicts not yet criminalized could have the threat of jail removed by de-criminalization of drug use, accessible treatment, alternative replacement drugs, safe detoxification with follow-up post acute withdrawal treatment and so on.  We can’t ask to legalize street narcotics, but we can  own the reality of the horrific impact drugs and trafficking has on us and reduce demand and jail populations at the same time.

In order to make an impact that helps young addicts and families, reduces drug demand, and better spends tax dollars, we need to impact law makers at all levels.  Maybe our elected officials don’t listen to activists but an America full of families affected by the scourge of addiction can convince their lawmakers.  Thanks to Senator Jim Webb for getting the ball rolling.   Lets help him.