In the United States alone, millions of Americans battle drug addiction. Addiction can lead to the inability to hold down a job, the loss of relationships, loss of interest in things once enjoyed and behavior changes. Often, individuals who suffer from addiction do things they likely would have never done before. In many cases, people who suffer from drug addiction find themselves entangled with the law, and often serve jail time for their drug-related crimes. Alternatively, sometimes individuals who have committed non-violent drug crimes have the option of going to a drug rehabilitation center for treatment. For those caught in this predicament, drug rehabilitation could have a more positive effect in the rehabilitation vs incarceration debate.
Rehabilitation vs Incarceration
According to Justice Research and Statistics Association, when it comes to rehabilitation vs incarceration numbers, forty-seven percent of sentenced federal prisoners are serving time for a drug offense. While incarcerating people for non-violent drug crimes is meant to provide a consequence for their offense, there are negatives to this approach. Drug rehab can counteract these negative effects.
The financial cost of paying for an individual to serve time in jail is large. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, the average cost of living per inmate in 2010 was $31,286 per year. In some states, the cost can rise up to $60,000 and higher per inmate. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated that the cost to society of drug abuse was $193 billion (a substantial portion of which—$113 billion—associates to drug-related crime, including criminal justice system costs and costs borne by victims of crime.) Alternatively, the overall cost of treating drug abuse (including health costs, hospitalizations, and government specialty treatment) was estimated to be $14.6 billion, a fraction of these overall societal costs.
The cost of drug rehab is much more cost-effective — and provides the necessary help and tools that people need — to prevent further drug use and crime.
Rehab Reshapes Crime
Along with being cost-effective, sending people to drug rehab prevents assimilation into the culture of crime. While someone is serving time in jail for a non-violent drug crime, they live with other inmates who have also committed crimes. However, their crimes may have been much worse than a non-violent drug crime. Because they are living and socializing with these individuals for their sentence, they may assimilate into the culture of crime. They might even continue in their addiction and begin committing more serious crimes once released. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, someone with an out-of-control addiction will commit as many as 63 crimes a year. If this number can be cut in half by referring offenders to drug rehab treatment instead of jail, crime rates may go down considerably.
Make The Right Choice: Rehab vs Prison
For any person who suffers from addiction, going to a rehab can provide the necessary help that’s necessary to finding lasting recovery. Drug rehab can save and change the course of lives. Rehabs offer detoxification from illicit substances, provide the tools needed to make better choices and provide support in a delicate time.
Attending drug rehab vs prison for non-violent drug crimes is a much more effective way of reducing crime. This method also helps those who struggle with addiction and prevents future relapse. If someone in your life is struggling with the choice between rehabilitation vs incarceration, or rehab vs prison, then call Morningside Recovery Detox today at 855-283-3118. Our professional staff members will help you find the Orange County drug detox you need at our pet friend drug detox facility. Don’t hesitate and make the call today.