John,
We agree on many things. I too agree that alcoholics that want to get sober could be afforded the chance to do it. But as I've stated I am against California's blanket policy of sentencing the offender to rehab. If it isn't the offenders choice, what will the success rate be? Yes, there should be strong aftercare and monitoring. Without them we're spinning our wheels and creating an opportunity for those to stay out of jail with impunity.
California really dropped the ball when the voters passed the law. The voters don't have a clue, it would seem, that only a person ready for recovery will likely benefit from a rehab. Plus, they didn't allocate the funds for mandatory testing. Why send them to rehab if they may not want to sober up, and then have no way to verify that they are, in fact, clean and sober? It doesn't make sense.
But -- God bless those that want what we have and are truly willing to go to any length to get it. I've seen very few court card visitors make it, but those that have serve as proof that our Higher Power works in mysterious ways.