Addiction: Rehabilitation or Incarceration?



Addiction: Rehabilitation or Incarceration?

By: Andrew Zhang



America’s prisons are packed to the brim with 2.1 million inmates convicted of crimes ranging from murder to simple traffic violations. Coming from all corners of the country and all walks of life, these convicts have been sentenced for offenses against America’s judicial system. However, despite seeming very different, most of these convicts have one thing in common: drugs. Drugs have been long known to alter the human psyche. They artificially stimulate the “reward” center of the brain to release dopamine, or the “happy” chemical, which enables the user to feel pleasure. However, prolonged stimulation causes addiction, where the body cannot feel or function normally without the drug (Redonna K et al., 183-190). Addiction, along with a host of other mental and physical changes brought on by the use of drugs, causes people to behave irrationally and commit crimes they would not usually commit.

A whopping 65% of the prison population has an active SUD (Substance Use Disorder), with another 20% under minor drug influences at the time of their arrest. In total, 85%, or 1.785 million inmates, have been incarcerated for either some form of drug abuse or drug-related crime (Office of Justice Programs, et al.). The problem must be attacked from the root. The current process of punishing individuals who have committed drug-related crimes by incarceration does not work, and a greater emphasis must be placed on the rehabilitation of drug addicts. New policies encouraging rehabilitation instead of imprisonment must be enacted immediately. A focus on rehabilitation will reduce future instances of drug-related crime, improve the mental health of prisoners, and save both the government and prisoners money. Rehabilitation can significantly improve the mental health of prisoners and decrease the chances of reoffending or relapsing. The current method of “treating” drug addiction and abuse victims is to cut off the drug supply to the prisoner, effectively making them go “cold turkey.” This type of treatment is ineffective, with 77% of released inmates relapsing. This is because the environment the prisoners are released into is not as sterile or drug-free as the environment in prison, which could encourage the recently released inmate to retake drugs. Drug abuse also promotes a mindset of self-loathing, depression, and anxiety. These feelings foster the need for more drugs, causing a vicious cycle (Laura et al.). Like community or medication-based therapies provided by organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous, proper treatment shows a much more significant effect in preventing future drug abuse incidences. However, after releasing and promoting a healthier mindset, only 89% of prisoners do not receive adequate treatment. Despite most prisoners receiving substandard treatment, those who get proper treatment and subsequent follow-up care after release are seven times more likely to remain drug-free and three times more likely to avoid future arrests. This allows prisoners to live fulfilling lives and reintegrate into society. Overall, encouraging rehabilitation will improve the mental health of prisoners and reduce relapse and arrest rates post-incarceration.

The rehabilitation of drug addicts and abusers is far more economical than incarceration. It costs an average of 20,000 dollars a year to cover the living expenses of an inmate in the US. With 2.1 million prisoners in US prisons, upkeep costs are

high. To cope, many prisons cut corners by underpaying staff, providing prisoners with inadequate living conditions, or disregarding regulations to stay out of debt. Providing victims of drug abuse or addiction with opportunities for rehabilitation can reduce costs in the long run. Studies have shown that four dollars can be saved in healthcare and upkeep costs for every one dollar spent on prison-based treatment programs. Prisons can save around 4.8 billion dollars if another 10% of prisoners receive proper rehabilitation (Lesser). However, the benefits of rehabilitation do not just apply to the prison. By receiving early treatment, prisoners can avoid costs of future medical complications, bail, and court fees. On top of this, rehabilitation can help prisoners find jobs, increase their job productivity, and provide for their loved ones (Lesser). Emphasizing rehabilitation saves money for both the prisons and prisoners in the long term.

Some could argue that harsh imprisonment or punishment discourages the use of drugs in society and will decrease incidences of drug abuse. This is not true. Multiple studies have shown that increasing the severity of punishment does not deter crime and has little to no impact. This is due to several reasons:


Many people do not know the extent of their crimes or the scope of the punishment they could receive due to either a lack of education or information.


Many crimes are committed in the “heat of the moment,” where emotion triumphs reason. In other words, people often do not see the larger picture when they are in a state of aggression or aggravation and lash out irrationally.


More severe punishment promotes the development of emotions like resentment, depression, and anxiety. The very same emotions cause crimes to occur in the first place (Office of Justice Programs., Five Things About Deterrence).

Overall, encouraging more severe punishment for criminals has little to no effect on crime rates.

A majority of prisoners in the United States legal system are incarcerated for various drug-related crimes. Many prisoners do not receive adequate treatment or rehabilitation for their drug abuse or addiction problems, resulting in long-term health complications, rearrests, or relapse problems. Emphasizing rehabilitation over the incarceration of drug abusers and addicts can reduce rates of relapse and arrest in released prisoner populations. Establishing rehabilitation programs in prisons is also more economical than pure incarceration, with both the prison and prisoners saving relatively large sums of money. Increasing the severity of punishment will also have little effect on relapse and future drug abuse rates for many reasons.

The pure incarceration of drug addicts and abusers does not work. A practical method of treatment or rehabilitation must be implemented into all of America’s prisons to reduce rates of drug abuse/addiction and relapse. New laws must be passed to encourage rehabilitation instead of incarceration. The effect of prioritizing rehabilitation over incarceration is portrayed in the Portuguese drug policy. They have recently decriminalized most illicit substances after nearly a decade of battling heroin addiction in their country. After this change, Portugal saw a nearly tenfold decrease in the number of drug-related deaths, crimes, and arrests over the last decade and has achieved the second-lowest number of drug-related deaths per 100,000 people in the world (Frakt). Significant changes must be made to the prison system to effectively combat drug use and save the lives of drug abuse and addiction victims.




Works Cited

Chandler, Redonna K et al. “Treating drug abuse and addiction in the criminal justice system: improving public health and safety.” JAMA vol. 301, no. 2 (2009): pp. 183-190. NiH, doi:10.1001/jama.2008.976, Accessed 9 May 2021

Close, Laura, et al. “Rehabilitation vs. Incarceration: Rehabilitation in the Criminal Justice System.” Oxford Treatment Center, Oxford Treatment Center, 9 Mar. 2021, oxfordtreatment.com/rehab-vs-prison/, Accessed 9 May 2021.

Frakt, Austin. “Pointers From Portugal on Addiction and the Drug War.” New York Times, 5 Oct. 2020, Pointers From Portugal on Addiction and the Drug War. Accessed 9 May 2021

Lesser, Ben. “Drug Rehab Instead Of Prison Could Save Billions.” DualDiagnosis, 14 Mar.2021,

dualdiagnosis.org/drug-rehab-instead-of-prison-could-save-billions-says-report-2/ Accessed 9 May 2021

NIDA. "Why do people involved in the criminal justice system continue abusing drugs?" National Institute on Drug Abuse, 3 Jun. 2020,

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-abuse-treatment-criminal -justice-populations-research-based-guide/why-do-people-involved-in-criminal-ju stice-system-c Accessed 9 May 2021.

United States, Congress, Office of Justice Programs, et al. Drug Offenders in Federal Prison: Estimates of Characteristics Based on Linked Data, Oct. 2015. www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/dofp12.pdf. Accessed 9 May 2021

United States, Congress, Office of Justice Programs. Five Things About Deterrence, National Institute of Justice, May 2016. www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/247350.pdf. Accessed 9 May 2021

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