DRUG TREATMENT SEEMS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE

Lorenn Walker's Dec. 8 commentary on a new prison is absolutely correct:
Locking more and more people up will not solve our crime problems.

Drug law violations and crime driven by drug addiction undeniably account
for our exploding prison population. What we're doing is not working and we
cannot afford the escalating fiscal and social costs of this approach.
Ensuring enough easily accessible drug treatment is not only more
cost-effective than prison, but would make a greater contribution to the
well-being and safety of the entire community.

Timothy McCormick