TREATMENT WORKS BETTER THAN PRISON

Re "Out of prison: Too few find helping hand after release," editorial,
Jan. 27:

As policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy, I believe the editorial
was right on target. If harsh penalties served to deter illicit drug use,
the elusive goal of a "drug-free" America would have been achieved decades
ago. Instead of adding to what is already the highest incarceration rate in
the world, we should be funding cost-effective drug treatment.

A study conducted by the RAND Corp. found that every 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 nonviolent drug offenders alongside
hardened criminals is the equivalent of providing them with a
taxpayer-funded education in criminal 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

Arlington, Va.