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Lucas McVea
Professor James Celsetino
28 March 2016
English 1010
Argument Essay
Benefits of Treatment Compared to Incarceration Alone
Drug addiction and alcoholism are a mental illness. Yes, there are those drug addicts who
deserve to be put in prison for the crimes they commit, especially the violent ones, but in the
overwhelming majority of cases the offender simply needs treatment for an illness that they have
no control over. This concept has been met with skepticism. A percentage of the population and
the United States judicial system believes or has believed that it is an individuals choice to
commit a crime and that they deserve to be punished for the crime. Obviously any addict would
say they dont deserve to be punished, but is that opinion entirely invalid because it is biased?
Punishment is necessary in some cases, but most offenders that have broken the law in pursuit of
furthering intoxication need help, not a ruler to the knuckles. They have little control over their
decisions and little to no forethought of what the consequences could be. To them, all that
matters is the next fix. This is not a defense of their unlawful behavior; they are not responsible
for their addiction, but they are responsible for their recovery. The United States would see a
decline in recidivism and healthcare costs if it were easier for an addict or alcoholic to get into
treatment and/or have access to the known drug replacement prescriptions such as Suboxone.
Suboxone is a heroin replacement drug, much like Methadone, that blocks the opiate receptors in
the brain while simultaneously satisfying them. This drug is becoming more and more available
and its benefits outweigh its shortcomings. Treatment can offer a person with Substance Abuse

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Disorder a set of coping skills, vocational rehabilitation, spirituality in some cases and, a new
way of life can be commenced. In Cases where incarceration is necessary, for example: in
recidivous cases, a combination of treatment and incarceration is much more beneficial than
confinement in the United States Prison System. It is necessary that the lawmakers, judges and
recovery advocates in the U.S. consider alternative routes to incarceration alone, such as
rehabilitation, to effectively reduce the high rate of recidivism because incarceration alone is
ineffective at deterring an addict from re-offending.
It has been proven in many states that the rate of recidivism declines when an offender is
actively involved in treatment, such as rehabilitation and close supervision as opposed to serving
a lengthy jail sentence and then being released. One such state is Vermont. In light of a heroin
epidemic that is prevalent there, but not only there, there is a new concept that is gathering
followers in that state and in the United States: the idea that an addict requires treatment and
medical attention rather than incarceration. The Governor of Vermont, Peter Shumlin, said this,
The best hope is to get more people into treatment and the best time to do that is when the blue
lights are flashing and the handcuffs are on(qtd. 1). This was said because a person is more
willing to go into treatment when there are no other options. Treatment can mean multiple
things. For the purposes of this argument it means, either rehabilitation in a treatment facility, or
supervision and prescribed medication by a medical doctor. The general thought process by the
authorities in America used to be that addicts were making a choice and deserved to suffer the
consequences of their unlawful decisions, but this is not true. Addiction is a disease, a mental
illness. This belief is apparent in an announcement that President Obama made. The President
said this, Over the next three years the number of physicians certified to prescribe
Buprenorphine for those with opioid-use disorders will rise from 30,000 to 60,000( qtd. From

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Associated Press). Up until recently, there was not that many doctors certified and trained to
prescribe Buprenorphine. In fact, the numbers of doctors allowed to prescribe the medicine were
limited to 30,000 in America. The fact that the President raised the limit to 60,000 shows two
things: one being that the need for this prescription has risen, and two, that the success of this
drug has been proven. Buprenorphine (Suboxone or Subutex) has some shortcomings as a longterm treatment for heroin addiction. If used as a replacement rather than just an aid in
detoxification then the dosage will have to be continually increased. When the time comes to get
off the drug the patient will experience significant withdrawal symptoms that may lead back to
heroin use, however, when prescribed by a trained physician with the dosage monitored
responsibly and then tapered slowly the drug, Buprenorphine, can be extremely effective at
lowering the need for a heroin addict to commit crimes in order to feed his or her addiction. The
downfalls in the effectiveness of the drug pale in comparison to the ineffectiveness of
incarceration alone.
The benefits of rehabilitation, in-patient or outpatient, for drug addiction and Alcoholism
are vast and can be categorized in many different ways. For some, the benefit is gaining a clear
mind and the ability to think rationally about ones problems. This concept is called Cognitive
Restructuring and it is taught in many treatment centers across the country. It involves retraining
the brain to combat learned thinking errors and to better cope with triggers. Another benefit of
treatment is vocational rehabilitation. This is important because many people who find
themselves in rehab may have a problem with holding a job, or they may have never learned a
vocational skill. Part of staying sober is contributing to society, according to the governmental
authorities in this country. So, learning a vocational skill can contribute to a more long-term
success in life. A philosophy in some treatment centers that appeals to the more desperate portion

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of the addicted population is the 12-step program. The main objective of this philosophy is to
connect the addict who feels like he is hopeless and powerless over his addiction to a higher
power that can save him. Alcoholics Anonymous is the originator of the 12 steps and has well
over two million members today and is in almost every country in the world. All the different
modalities of treatment are tailored to fit certain personality types. All philosophies about
recovery and ways to achieve success in recovery are subjective and may work well for one
individual while failing for the next. Therefore, ways to measure the overall effectiveness of a
treatment program have been devised. They are as follows: maintaining lasting employment,
staying out of jail or the court system, lasting sobriety or a reduction of use, maintaining stable
housing and reduction in medical costs over ones life. These are vague outcomes that are
measurable as a whole. They show that, statistically, treatment does work. The article,
Alcoholism Treatment in the United States provides this quote, Research consistently has
shown that treatment for alcoholism reduces overall medical care costs of alcohol dependent
clients(pg1); a small achievement when considering the huge problem that is alcoholism and
drug addiction, and yet, an achievement nonetheless. When compared to the forfeitures of
incarceration alone, any achievement in the fight against the illness of addiction is a milestone
and something to be celebrated.
It is true that when a person spends a long period of time in prison surrounded by other
criminals the majority of what they learn is how to be a more adept criminal. The prisons may
offer education or work release programs to those that qualify, but the main outcome of being
immersed in the prison way of life is a criminal mindset and unhealthy coping skills, such as
violence and superiority/inferiority complexes. Most addicts lack coping skills in the first place,
hence the use of drugs to feel better. Upon entering the prison system, they then must learn

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coping skills from the criminals that they are surrounded with. This is a recipe for disaster and
the reason the United States Prison System is such a violent and dysfunctional institution.
The Correctional Addiction Treatment Services program in Salt Lake City, Utah is
designed to offer treatment to those suffering from addiction problems that also are serving a
commitment in the Salt Lake County Jail. The mission of the C.A.T.S. program is to provide
treatment that will reduce recidivism and help facilitate reintegration into society and, therefore
reduce the overall cost of incarceration. There is a long-standing joke that the commanding
officers have with the inmates in the Adult Detention Center in Salt Lake County. When it comes
time for an inmate to be released from jail the guards will escort them to the doors and, in bad
taste and arrogance, will say something like, See ya next time. This is funny to the guards
because, after some experience behind those doors they realize that they are revolving. People
come in and out repeatedly. I know the first time I heard that joke I did not think it was funny
and I believed I would not return based solely on how disturbing the whole incarceration
experience was for me at the age of eighteen. I did not realize at that time that I was a sick person
and that I could benefit greatly from treatment. I was sure that I could just behave and avoid the
law and therefore stay out of jail. After About my third time returning, I realized the joke was on
me. I had no control over my use and no control over my actions. I resigned myself to be a
recidivist. And so I was until the last time I went to jail and participated in the C.A.T.S. program.
I graduated with a reputation as a leader because I worked my way to the highest inmate-held
position within the program and was an example to all the other inmates of what it looks like to
really put some effort into recovery. I continued on with my treatment upon release from jail in
an in-patient program in Salt Lake City and, as a result, I gained lasting sobriety and became an
upstanding, law-abiding member of society. If the idea of punishment were replaced with

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treatment of sick people the outcomes as whole would begin to look more like they did in my
case. There is a shift happening in Salt Lake City and Vermont, as well as many other cities and
states in the country. The future is looking up and all who are involved with the judicial system
need to get on board
The United States represents 5 percent of the worlds population and consumes 80
percent of the worlds opioids, said Gov. Charlie of Massachusetts (pg. 1). All Americans know
someone, if not in their immediate family then certainly in their extended family, that suffers
form Alcoholism or Substance Abuse Disorder. This topic hits home for everyone and begs to be
seen in a new light because the war on drugs, is a losing war. The shift that has begun to occur
in some cities and states needs to occur on a national level. The opportunity for treatment would
be a better first choice for a weapon than locking sick people up as a punishment. The use of
prescribed medication to help those dependent upon drugs and alcohol should be expanded and
made more available to those who need it. Treatment, whether inpatient or out, whether privately
owned or county-funded non-profit, needs to be made more readily available by re-allocating
funds. In Cases where incarceration is necessary the approach should be shifted to a more
treatment based incarceration than a punishment based one. This would lower the cost of
incarceration as a whole and give these sick individuals a fighting chance at a life that we all
deserve.

Works Cited
Chaddock, Gail Russell. "How One State Turned Its 'Heroin Crisis' into
a National Lesson." Christian Science Monitor. 23 Feb. 2016:
n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
McCaul, Mary E., and Janice Furst. "Alcoholism Treatment in the United
States." Alcohol Research & Health. Winter 1994/1995: 253260. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
Teicher Khadaroo, Stacy. "Behind Obama's Heroin Plan, a Shift in How
America Sees Addicts." Christian Science Monitor. 21 Oct. 2015:
n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

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