ICE USERS GET LITTLE TREATMENT IN PRISON

In the article "Lawmakers urged to battle ice problem" (Star-Bulletin, Jan.
26), city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle is quoted as saying, "When their brain
is already damaged, isolate them, incapacitate them, then treat them."

Although I am not a drug user, I am currently incarcerated, and many people
I know are addicted to drugs. Is locking them away for "treatment" truly the
answer? What treatment does the state provide? Many inmates want to change
their lives, but how are they going to change while incarcerated with no
programs, continuous lockdowns and poor management?

Not all "ice" users are violent criminals. Is overcrowding our prisons with
people who need treatment the answer? No, Carlisle wants bigger prisons,
more jobs for corrupt state workers and a bigger burden on our taxpayers.
Maybe Governor Lingle's administration will provide treatment for drug users
and help manage an efficient prison system.

Quintin-John D'Agirbaud III

Inmate, Oahu Community Correctional Center