DRUG ABUSE

Prison Treatment Options Lacking

Surely, state lawmakers didn't fail to note the inefficient way our
state is allocating tax dollars for drug and alcohol abuse in a
national review this week.

According to a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University, Mississippi spent $487 million on
substance abuse in 1998.

That would seem like a lot. But of every $100 of that spent, $97 went
for the effects of drug abuse -- such as building prisons, hiring
police officers, etc. -- while only a pittance ($3) went for preventing
and treating drug abuse.

Compounding this imprudent use of taxpayer money is current inaction
by the Legislature to change course.

Senate Corrections Committee Chairman Rob Smith says he doubts any
major reform bill will come from his committee even as the state is
reeling under prison construction costs and federal fines for
exceeding capacity.

Rather than warehousing prisoners, it would be far more prudent to
provide drug courts allowing treatment options to divert the flow of
inmates.

Putting a priority on jail time over education, prevention, treatment
and rehabilitation is an outrageously reckless way to spend the
taxpayers' money.