12 Steps Again

Treating Inmates Has Proven Public Health, Safety, and Economic Benefits

The vast majority of prisoners who could benefit from drug abuse treatment do not receive it, despite two decades of research that demonstrate its effectiveness, according to researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.In a report published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, NIDA scientists note that about half of all prisoners (including some sentenced for non-drug-related offenses) are dependent on drugs, yet less than 20 percent of inmates suffering from drug abuse or dependence receive formal treatment.

“Treating drug-abusing offenders improves public health and safety,” said NIDA Director and report coauthor Dr. Nora D. Volkow. “In addition to the devastating social consequences for individuals and their families, drug abuse exacts serious health effects, including increased risk for infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C; and treatment for addiction can help prevent their spread.Providing drug abusers with treatment also makes it less likely that these abusers will return to the criminal justice system.”

“Addiction is a stigmatized disease that the criminal justice system often fails to view as a medical condition; as a consequence, its treatment is not as available as it is for other medical conditions,” stated Dr. Redonna K. Chandler, the report’s principal author and chief of NIDA’s Services Research Branch.

There are several ways in which drug abuse treatment can be incorporated into the criminal justice system. These include therapeutic alternatives to incarceration, treatment merged with judicial oversight in drug courts, treatments provided in prison and jail, and reentry programs to help offenders transition from incarceration back into the community.

To learn more about the latest research on treatment for drug abusers in the criminal justice system, download NIDA’s Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations at http://www.drugabuse.gov/PODAT_CJ/principles.

www.WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which was established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The ONDCP establishes policies and objectives for the Nation’s drug control program.

Below are just some of the free publications available to the public on the White House’s drug policy web page. The publications are available in PDF and HTML formats and range in topics from drug prevention to the public health consequences of Methamphetamine Laboratories. 

Publications currently available online:

Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Prevention, Department of Education. A guide to assist parents in preventing drug abuse by their children.

Anabolic Steroids: Community Drug Alert Bulletin, National Institute on Drug Abuse. This publication alerts communities to the fact that steroid abuse is a growing problem among adolescents, and to the dangers of steroid abuse. 

Cannabis Youth Treatment Series, Vol. 1: Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Cannabis Users, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. This manual provides an overview of the motivational enhancement therapy/cognitive behavioral therapy approach to treating adolescent marijuana users. 

InfoFacts: LSD, National Institute on Drug Abuse. This resource provides information on the use and effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

National Drug Control Strategy 2009, Office of National Drug Control Policy, January 2009. The goal of the Strategy is to reduce drug use in America by stopping use before it starts, healing America’s drug users, and disrupting the market for illegal drugs. In addition, this report discusses the substantial decline of drug use among America’s youth and within the work force.

For More information on the White House drug policy and the entire list of free publications, visit them online at www.WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov

It’s tough to come down from virtually being deified at the Olympics, but Phelps’ situation points out plenty of things to consider as we examine our laws and strategies for dealing with drugs and alcohol.

“Studies show that young people’s, especially male’s, brains are hardwired for bad choices, and being under the influence of anything – legal or illegal – leaves you open to making bad decisions about everything,” said Calvina Fay, Executive Director of Drug Free America Foundation, Inc.

“These studies along with this particular incident confirm that random student drug testing and other such strategies are needed to help deter youthful drug use,” Fay continued.

“Whether celebrities like it or not, they are looked upon by fans as role models, and I hope Mr. Phelps is sincere in his words of regret. Maybe he can now put his free time to better use and help further drug prevention messages through first leading by example, “ concluded Fay.

If you would like to set up an interview about this issue with Calvina Fay or other drug policy and prevention experts, please contact Lana Beck at (727) 828-0211 or (727) 403-7571.
Drug Free America Foundation is dedicated to fighting drug use, drug addiction and drug trafficking and to promoting effective sound drug policies, education and prevention. For more discussion, please visit our blog entitled “Michael Phelps – His Role and His Mistake”.

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama nominated the nation’s drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske to be the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Vice President Joe Biden presented Gil Kerlikowske with the position during a press conference in the White House on March 11th. Gil Kerlikowske has been the Chief of Police for Seattle for 9 years where he has been credited publicly with bringing down crime rates to record lows.  He is the current president of the Major City Chiefs Association, which is composed of the 56 of the largest enforcement agencies in the United States.  He also served as Police Commissioner for the City of Buffalo, where he served until 1998, when he left to become the Deputy Director of the COPS program for the Department of Justice.

During the press conference, Joe Biden expressed the importance of the positions of drug czar and Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, stating that before the two positions were created years ago, when the United States had 32 agencies dealing with the nation’s drug problems and practically no coordination between them. Biden stated, “I believe that we needed a drug czar, someone who could lead at a White House level, coordinating all our nation’s drug policy, and I still believe that today.”

Biden went on to say, “Substance abuse is one of our nation’s most pervasive problems, as all of you in this room know. An addiction is a disease - as Pat Moynihan used to say, disease of the brain, that doesn’t discriminate on the basis of age, gender, socioeconomic standing, or status, race, or creed. And as all of you know, it wreaks havoc on all of our communities: urban, rural and suburban.”

Upon accepting the position, Gil Kerlikowske addressed reporters saying, “The President and the Vice President have set a new course, and I’m looking forward to working with the Department of State, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services and all of the agencies that are involved in drug policy on implementing this new course.”

Kerlikowske went on to say, “Already this administration has expanded commitments to critical programs, ones that we’ve seen such as drug courts, better treatment, prisoner and reentry programs, border security, and counter narcotics initiatives, both domestically and internationally. This is a real commitment to strengthening the tools we have to reduce trafficking, illegal drug manufacturing, and drug-related crime and violence. There is much work to be done. I’m looking forward to getting to work.”