I sure like the idea of treatment courts. 65 percent of inmates are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Many of them are real criminals but many are there because they are addicts. My best friend has a son who is an addict looking at a felony right now. Good person, can't kick alcoholism and heroin.. Then he started making his own meth - brilliant guy, made his own pharma grade stash because heroin killed him once (paramedics got him back with dad watching).
It's ridiculous that we spend what we do in this country locking up addicts. My DD, all of 17, was discussing this one with me and said "Dad, why not legalize drugs, tax the hell out of them and use that money, the money we'd save on prisons and the money we'd save on chasing drug dealers on prevention programs and treatment facilities?"
17... seems one hell of a lot smarter than a lot of smart people who are running the world.
I.m wondering what percentage of abusers who are also alcoholics would stop being abusers if they were sober? Sure seems worth finding out.