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Annotated Bibliography: Drug Abuse Punishment

Angela Hendren

Western Michigan University

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckbee says it best when explaining the current issue with drug offenders in America “No matter how much we do, there's more of it seeming to pop back up. At some point, one of our real challenges is not just simply busting the bad guys, but keeping them from becoming bad guys.” One thing law enforcement has thought that being hard on crime was the best way to end the drug war with addicts. This method just calls for more arrests for smaller amounts of drugs. Then they use longer prison sentences to scare to drug users to stop. It just ends up that our state will spend more money in building prisons then putting into the education system.This may works to some extent but the substance abuse problems continue to increase. There needs to be new alternative actions put against drug offenders such as the use of mandatory treatment.

Reducing incarceration rates with alternative ways will reduce the harms associated with the overcrowding of prisons. The growing concerns of the widespread incarnation of drug users has been expensive. The high expense has not prevented drug use after the incarceration.

One way to be able to fix this to help the individuals gain more control over their lives through occupational therapy. Their they will learn how to be able to become more productive in society and their jobs without the abuse of drugs.

With alternative sentencing they could be brought to a special court called drug courts where they could offer the option to enter this treatment plan. This treatment plan will include therapist doctors and education. If the defendant choices this options and if only successfully completes it their criminal charges are dropped. After the charges are dropped he will be released.

It has been proven that programs over in Europe that offer alternatives to prison and combine both law enforcement and...