More States Reviewing Nonviolent Drug Offender Sentencing Laws
Referring nonviolent drug offenders to effective rehabilitation programs saves lives and money
(PRWEB) December 5, 2004
The Sentencing Project by the Justice Policy Institute reported in 2000 that with mass releases of prisoners in Russia, the United States surged ahead to have the highest incarceration rate in the world. With 2,071,686 persons incarcerated in 2000, the United States, with just 5% of the worldÂ’s population, has roughly a quarter of the worldÂ’s prisoners.
Along with these hefty numbers come big bills. It cost Americans $25.96 billion to imprison 1.3 million non-violent offenders in the year 2000, meaning our nation spent 50% more than the entire $16.6 billion the federal government spent on welfare programs to serve 8.5 million people. What are the results of this spending other than bigger and more prisons and jails with an ever-increasing budget demand? Some prisons are now facing the issue of even medical costs and even geriatric wards in addition to regular inmate housing facilities.
Sixty percent of the growth in the federal prison population over the last twenty years has been due to drug offender commitments. Many states are now reviewing and changing their sentencing laws for nonviolent drug offenders.
Pennsylvania passed a new measure that would relax mandatory sentencing guidelines for nonviolent alcohol and other drug offenders, according to the Associated Press last week. With the policy change, Pennsylvania joins a growing number of other states that are taking action against tough mandatory sentencing laws that were passed in the 1990s.
With an average cost of nearly $30,000 per inmate per year, multiple-year sentences add up, but with effective rehabilitation for these offenders, that money can be spent on improving our nationÂ’s healthcare and education. Pennsylvania is expected to save more than $20 million a year in reduced prison costs alone. Drug addicted individuals referred to effective rehabilitation programs not only save the states money through immediate referrals but have also shown to reduce the rate of criminal recidivism.
One organization that is continually producing long-term results throughout the world for rehabilitating nonviolent alcohol and other drug offenders is the Narconon® Drug Rehabilitation and Education Program.
Narconon literally means "narcotics-none" and was founded by a former heroin addict named William Benitez in Arizona State Prison in 1966. 38 years later, Narconon is still considered a new, proven approach to ending addiction through the rehabilitation research and methodology of L. Ron Hubbard. This program is totally drug-free and it consists of communication and confront exercises, sauna detoxification to rid the body of the old drug residues and a series of courses that empower former addicts through learning life skills.
The practical workability of the Narconon® Program’s social education model continually achieves extremely high success rates for helping individuals to overcome their addiction and become happy, ethical and productive members of society while remaining stably drug-free.
The overwhelming issue of substance abuse affects nearly every individual in one way or another. If you would like to seek help for a loved or are interested in learning more about the program, contact Narconon Arrowhead today by calling 1-800-468-6933 or log on to www. stopaddiction. com for a free assessment or referral.
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