Rehabilitation Vs Incarceration Essay

Rehabilitation or Incarceration?

Addiction is a disease that affects the brain and can cause compulsive behaviors. Addiction is a chronic disease that can lead to health problems, crime, divorce, bankruptcy, and other social issues. The most common drugs of choice being marijuana, xanax, OxyContin, cocaine, and heroin. Many people believe that addicts should be in jail to pay for their criminal behavior, but this is the last thing that will aid them into becoming healthy and operational citizens. The addicts who are convicted of criminal charges should not be incarcerated while under the influence of drugs, as they focus primarily on penalizing and discipline; they should instead be sent into rehabilitation in order to prepare them to be functioning

While incarcerated, the addicts are being punished for what their addictions cause, and while in rehabilitation, the cause is what is being fixed, not the effect. In essence, rehabilitation is about improving oneself and becoming a better person, and in order to do so, treatment facilities focus on all aspects of people's lives. Nutrition is a vital part of everyone's life, and for those who suffer from substance abuse disorders, obtaining sufficient vitamins and minerals can be very difficult, and most suffer from chronic deficiencies. At a rehabilitation center, food will be provided with the right amount of nutrients that a person needs daily, and information will be easily accessible to learn about proper nutrition. “[On the other hand], the food offered in jail will not be designed to support the systems of those recovering from their addiction, and the choice of food will be limited and not of the highest quality” (Vo and Gilmore). Therefore, rehabilitation centers have adequate assets and means to properly care for addicts’ nutritional needs. Mental health is another crucial aspect of daily life. Joe Gilmore, an employee at different rehabilitation centers across the country, says “Assuming addiction is a disease, those suffering from that

However, several researchers and institutions have disbanded this argument. Renaissance Recovery states that, if only 10% of drug offenders are treated for addiction instead of being incarcerated, this could save $4.8 billion annually (Vo and Gilmore). Based on this information, the conclusion is clear. Rehabilitation is a much more cost-effective, and humane approach to aid drug addicts in becoming better people. The average cost of outpatient rehabilitative care is about $5,000 for a 3-month program (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics). On the contrary, the government puts about $80 billion dollars into funding jails every year (Jenness) and the average cost of having one inmate at a jail or prison is $106,131 annually (Legislative Analysts' Office) therefore, for every three months that an inmate is incarcerated, they are costing about $26,532.75 of taxpayer dollars as opposed to the $5,000 that rehabilitation costs. The evidence clearly shows that it is much more cost-effective and compassionate to place drug addicts who are convicted with criminal behavior in a treatment facility rather than a jail. Similarly, when cost is brought to attention the question arises: who has access to rehabilitation and who can afford it? Many low-income Americans might struggle to afford proper healthcare, let alone a rehabilitation center.