Budget Crisis Hurts Drug Addiction Treatment Programs and Drug Courts
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010Budget cuts in government are happening all over the country and the financial crisis is hurting drug courts and drug addiction treatment put in place to help those struggling with drug addiction. These changes not only affect the future of drug addiction treatment, the personal futures of those who need treatment for drug addiction but their families and the community as well.
Hawaii is one state where the budget crisis is having a big effect on drug courts. Right now, the treatment courts (drug courts and mental health courts) cost about $5 million of the $139 million budget for the state’s judicial system. That’s 4 percent of the budget and lawmakers are looking to cut it, according to the Honolulu Advertiser.
Public Defender Jack Tonaki is against the idea. He says: “I would hate to see this discontinued. Everyone is having to make tough choices.”
The short sighted nature of government and state budgets is leading some in Hawaii to forget what many other states have learned the hard way: cutting the budget for drug courts and drug addiction treatment programs may mean a little bit of savings now but quite a bit of lost funds later.
Incarcerating people for drug possession and addiction is an expensive proposition, a cost that calculates in the millions every year. When you add in the costs of domestic violence, health problems, the effect on children and increased juvenile delinquency, unemployment and other issues associated with continued drug abuse and addiction, the $4 million invested into the specialized courts is minimal in comparison.
Meda Chesney-Lind is a professor at the University of Hawaii and a criminologist and says:
“Obviously, in terrible times, everyone is constrained, and I would argue that money should come from other parts of the criminal justice system that are overused, like corrections. I wouldn’t support across-the-board cuts that tend to cripple small initiatives. We know that huge swaths of the current system are not functioning optimally, so they really need to have new ideas infused into the work they are currently doing.”
In some instances, the court system becomes a service of support for those trying to break free from drug addiction and their families. This is far more beneficial than the combative and confrontational role that the courts usually play in the lives of drug offenders. By recognizing that drug addiction is a disease that is chronic in nature and requires continued treatment and support, the court can set itself up to help those in the grips of addiction rather than setting the offender up to fail by neglecting to give them the treatment they need while simultaneously incarcerating them with criminals who will only perpetuate their addiction when they get out.
Get Drug Addiction Treatment Before the Courts Get Involved
If you or someone you love would like drug addiction treatment before the courts get involved, Michael’s House can help. Whether you need inpatient cocaine addiction treatment, residential alcohol rehab, opiate detox, heroin addiction treatment, sober living or other drug addiction treatment programs, Michael’s House has what you need. Call 1-877-345-8494 for more information.







