NEWS: News.com.au - 06/09/07 'Drug offenders need rehab, not jail'

[hoptis]

Drug offenders 'need rehab, not jail'
September 06, 2007 11:12am
Article from: AAP

DIVERSION schemes should be expanded to guide drug users away from the criminal justice system and into treatment, a move that would also save money, a new report by a government advisory body says.

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD), chaired by former Howard government minister John Herron, today released its findings on a study of compulsory treatment of drug offenders in Australia.

It found diversion programs were in place around the country for minor drug offenders but many were excluded from these programs, such as those with a history of violence and the mentally ill.

Penalties and treatment options also varied widely from state to state.

It called for consistent national guidelines on eligibility for diversion and rehabilitation, specific programs for indigenous offenders and overall greater investment in rehabilitation and treatment.
ANCD said drug diversion was working and was saving taxpayers millions of dollars a year in incarceration costs.

"Overall, it can be said that there is some evidence that investment in diversion programs has resulted in reduced crime rates and drug use for some participants, and lower courts and law enforcement costs," the report said.

"These programs enjoy sufficient political and community support for considerable expansion in operations to have been observed over recent years."

The council called for the expansion of court diversionary programs to all jurisdictions "to overcome inequality in sentencing options and thereby access to treatment options".

Dr Herron said it cost up to $73,000 to keep a prisoner in jail for a year, compared with $30,000 to run a rehabilitation program.

Jailing drug users could also lead to a "revolving door" effect and many ended up back in prison not long after release.

"The report conclusively shows that millions of taxpayers' money is being wasted by putting people in jail when some should be in treatment programs," Dr Herron said on ABC radio.

"Generally speaking, treatment works and all the evidence suggests that putting people into treatment is not a softer option but a better option.

"Jail tends to be a `revolving door', drugs are available unfortunately and reoffending is common once people get out of jail."

Rehabilitation had led to a dramatic drop in the rate of recidivism and significant savings in court time, Dr Herron said.

The report will be officially launched in Brisbane today.

NSW Police Superintendent Frank Hansen said if the link between drug-taking and crime could be short-circuited by rehabilitation, then a life of crime may be avoided.

"Police are always looking for anything that can prevent crime," Supt Hansen said on Channel 9 today.

He said that referring drug users into treatment instead of sending them to jail gave them a chance of breaking that cycle.

"If we can get in early enough we can certainly do something about a person's drug-taking and as a consequence, perhaps prevent a life of intermittent crime," he said.

News.com.au

 

[the_ketaman]

I think in NSW theres a program for drug offenders called MERIT, im not sure what it stands for and im too lazy to look it up, but a friend of mine went through it many times. I think the point of it is to go through rehab rather than jail.

In my opinion jail is not the place for a drug addict unless they've committed a heinous crime, like murder or something. I hear of all these heroin/meth addicts getting locked up for petty theft and I just think to myself, theyre going to get drugs in there without having to steal. Why not just potentially eliminate the problem with rehabilitation?

Am I right that drugs are usually readily available in Australian jails?

^^Sorry thats an availability question

 

[Splatt]

The media says so.

 

[hoptis]

Treatment centre sees benefits in decriminalising some drugs
Posted Fri Sep 7, 2007 8:50am AEST

A New South Wales north coast drug treatment centre says jailing drug addicts is not effective or economically viable and says decriminalisation could be part of the solution.

Barry Evans, the director of The Buttery drug treatment centre in Binnaburra, agrees with a new report by the Australian National Council on Drugs that shows jail costs more than rehabilitation.

Mr Evans says recognising the benefits of treatment over punishment is a step forward.

He says the decriminalisation of drugs such as cannabis, along with effective education programs, could make some headway into the problem.

"There is an argument that decriminalisation assists with reducing criminal activity and organised crime in the sale and production of drugs," he said.

"There is an argument for decriminalisation for personal use, but I also think there needs to be accompanying that a strong education campaign around the potential consequences for excessive drug use."

ABC News

 

[Splatt]

True although a few warnings the old buggers generally have learnt a decent scare tactict by giving you a bit of a yell and "last warning" Just get caught in a different region, magistrates don't like when they see you back after hearing "This won't happen again"