ADDICTED INMATES

Re the Aug. 2 story on the Family Recovery Drug Court:

I hope money for the court's program materializes before it has to end
abruptly for lack of funds. This intensive program can offer a big
payoff by reducing the need for foster care for children of drug
addicts, and by turning former addicts into wage earners and taxpayers.

That said, it boggles my mind to observe the expense and work put into
a program that has addressed family issues for only 19 addicts in two
years, when treatment needed by hundreds of addicted inmates at the
Charleston County Detention Center is denied to most of them.

Eighty percent of inmates say drugs or alcohol contributed to their
crimes, and many request treatment. Unfortunately, only about 100
inmates per year get the jail's effective, on-site, 90-day course of
treatment that has been shown to reduce addiction and recidivism.

Charleston County Council says that expanding treatment at the jail is
up to Sheriff Al Cannon, who says there is no room for it. A county
spokesperson told me to just be patient and wait for a big, new
Charleston County jail to be built (with a multi-year completion date
once funds are found to build it) because then there will be space for
programs like drug and alcohol treatment. Call me a cynic, but
somehow, common sense tells me that the folks who run that expensive
new jail will not be trying to justify its expense by keeping folks
out of it.

It isn't rocket science to understand that one major reason we need a
bigger jail is because now addicts are released still addicted and
they continue to commit crimes in our communities.

Where is The Post and Courier story about this problem? And where is
the outrage by African-Americans, who should be yelling bloody murder
at the release of mostly black addicted inmates back into black
neighborhoods? Where is the public concern from our judges and
politicians, who do nothing? Where are the voices from our churches,
who know that rehabilitation, including addiction treatment and job
training, is the only way to slow the tremendous rate of recidivism?

Sharon Fratepietro

President, South Carolinians for Drug Law Reform