Facing the reality of drug induced recidivism, legislators and legal activists have been promoting a more targeted, and much cheaper option, which is the participation in drug courts as opposed to criminal courts; with sentencing involving mandated treatment instead of incarceration.
Clinical studies have shown that the length of a drug sentence has little impact over the likelihood of re incarceration, and that the period of enforced sobriety as imposed in jail does little to actually break an addiction. The person may not be abusing drugs (or very well may be abusing drugs) while in prison, but they are still addicted psychologically, and have few tools to keep them free from abuse once ultimately released.
Additionally, data that indicates that the motivation to enter treatment has little impact on the ultimate success of a completed rehabilitation program enhances arguments for drug court rehab treatment sentencing over incarcerations.
page last update Aug 05, 2010
