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mp3}RST_October212009{/mp3}
As a result, most prisons across the country were filled with drug offenders and more prisons were constructed to keep up with the growing population.
A drug-related offense was definitively seen as a crime.
But that view is changing somewhat. Many local governments and courts who work under the burden of overcrowded prisons and overworked police departments are opting to provide treatment to drug and alcohol addicts rather than sending them to jail. The local law enforcement and social service agencies tend to believe bad people still need to be punished if they commit a crime and to make the community safe, but they think that not all addicts are criminals and a safer community may result from treatment rather than incarceration.
Do you agree or disagree? What options do drug and alcohol abusers have? Can we afford drug and alcohol treatment programs?
Let us know what you think and listen to Wednesday's Radio Smart Talk.
Guests:
Helen Spence, Community Outreach Coordinator, Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Services, Andy Sullivan, counselor 20+ years who began his practice as a drug and alcohol counselor--co-owner of Mazzitti & Sullivan, and Janice Styer, Clinical Coordinator and Therapist at Caron Treatment Centers.
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