DON'T JAIL ADDICTS, TREAT THEM

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Regarding the editorial, "Richmond Jail: Solutions":

Richmond is one of many cities grappling with overcrowded jails.
Throughout the nation, state and local governments facing budget
shortfalls are pursuing alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent
drug offenders. A study conducted by the RAND Corporation found that
every additional dollar invested in substance-abuse treatment saves
taxpayers $7.48 in societal costs.

There is far more at stake than tax dollars. 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. Not only do the children lose out, but society as a
whole does, too. Incarcerating non-violent 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, legal or otherwise, as the public
health problem it is. Destroying the futures and families of citizens
who make unhealthy choices doesn't benefit anyone.

Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Arlington.