As reported in JoinTogether Online, an AP article earlier this month stated that several states have either eliminated prison drug treatment programs or have proposed cutbacks due to budget shortfalls.
A quote from Boby May, associated director for the Association of State Correctional Administrators said, “When inmates are busy, they’re not getting into bad things. Programming is good and helps build responsibility and accountability.”
The article notes that eliminating drug and alcohol rehab programs from prison systems will likely cause an increase in recidivism.
One of the major problems with our nation’s prison system, aside from the fact that too many people are incarcerated instead of receiving other forms of help, is that there are many private facilities charging our country more money to contract with the government to house criminals.
A much more effective long-term plan would be to have a higher rate of alternative sentencing so that the money could be used for successful drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities, especially long-term rehab programs.