REHABILITATION IS BETTER

Any treatment is better than none. Day after day I argue on behalf of drug
rehabilitation for clients financially unable to afford counsel or
treatment. I understand the problems of addiction and the availability of
programs in Vermont. Just because I don't see Serenity House, an acute-care
facility, or Grace House as a proper placement for a person with behavioral
and "THC" problems shouldn't cause my remarks to be called ignorant. That
hardly advances the discussion.

Vermont in general and Rutland in particular need more treatment beds
offering a wider variety of services for its citizens suffering from
alcohol and chemical dependency. Some of them are dual diagnosed, suffering
from additional mental illnesses not related to the substance abuse.
Sometimes it is not in the best interest of a person who has smoked too
much weed to examine his problems in a group made up of heroin users and
alcoholics. The accused ended up staying in jail for not having the bail
set by Judge Corsones, a terrible place for someone who was sitting on a
stoop listening to his radio too loudly. Sadly, the writer of the letter
and the editor who placed the pejorative word atop the letter weren't
present to hear the entire argument, taking the comments I made out of
context and misinterpreting that which was reported.

I meant no discourtesy to these two most important facilities. Neither has
enough beds, counselors, or job training and education opportunities.
Nonetheless, anytime I can convince a judge to send a client who is willing
to accept treatment to rehab instead of jail, the community wins. The
citizen receives treatment; the system saves by avoiding the costs of
incarceration; and the risk of recidivism is reduced because the person has
controlled the problem which caused the anti-social and sometimes illegal
conduct which brought the case before the court in the first place.

What is most interesting is that the attack this time came from my own
constituency. But from where I stand in court, anything that gets the
discussion out in the open helps the cause. Don't incarcerate, rehabilitate.

LORIN DUCKMAN

Rutland