TREATMENT SAVES MONEY

Regarding Rick Diamond's Nov. 28 op-ed, Lee County is not the only
jurisdiction grappling with overcrowded jails.

Throughout the nation, states facing budget shortfalls are pursuing
alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders.

A study conducted by the Rand Corp. found that every additional dollar
invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.48 in
societal costs.

The drug war is not the promoter of family values that some would have
us believe. Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure,
joblessness, addiction and delinquency.

Incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals
is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education
in anti-social behavior. Turning drug users into unemployable ex-cons
is a senseless waste of tax dollars.

It's time to declare peace in the failed drug war and begin treating
all substance abuse as the public health problem it is.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, DC