BETTER DRUG TREATMENT MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED A MOTHER'S OVERDOSE

The recent drug-overdose death of the young Baltimore City woman who left
four young children motherless, LaVenia Morrison, might have been averted if
the powers that be would realize this area's great need for drug treatment
programs ("Grip of drugs seen in woman's death," Sept. 15).

I am a drug counselor at the Baltimore County women's detention center in
Towson, and I can tell you this "lock 'em up and throw away the key"
mentality is simply not working.

Our jails are overflowing with drug-related charges and convictions. but
building or expanding jails is not the answer.

In my five years of experience at the jail, I've found that it is the addict
who leaves jail and goes into a drug treatment program who has the best shot
at a productive life and at staying out of jail.

I attempt to get such women into drug treatment on a daily basis, and I
continually run up against financial obstacles. Yet we're willing to pay for
them to sit in jail, be released and go through the cycle all over again.

Treatment works and is much more cost effective than jail.

But now, because this woman didn't have a Social Security card and couldn't
get treatment, she is dead and gone, leaving her four children motherless
and placing even greater costs on society, in every way.

Let's wake up and see what drug addiction is doing to our city and county --
and understand that there's a better way to deal with this problem.

Kate Bieler Baltimore The writer is a correctional addictions counselor at
the Baltimore County Women's Detention Center.