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Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Four Of Five

Leave a Comment / Abuse, Addiction, Drug Abuse, Incarceration, Treatment / By

Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Four Of Five: Treatment Helping to Build Communities In part three of this series, it was mentioned that the economic advantage of treatment toward communities does not have a price tag. Treatment does, however, have a positive effect on communities across America. Research reflected in the Justice Policy Institute’s 2004 research study proves that treatment helps to improve communities, backed up with research from a variety of different entities. The studies began by citing a Maryland government funded agency, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration (ADAA). The agency, looking over the facilities they funded, found that fewer people committed crimes while attending rehabilitation activities within the agencies. Arrest rates for those in the programs were lower, and those who completed the program continued to maintain low to no arrests after treatment. DTAP, a rehabilitation facility in Brooklyn, NY, saw a 50% graduation rate and fewer reported crimes for those in the program and for the graduates. These individuals were integrated into society, had assistance in finding jobs, were able to be parents to their children, and were taught to make a positive contribution to their neighborhoods. These are opportunities which would have been missed with incarceration. In fact, the federal government reports that treatment facility graduates show a 50% decline in drug-related arrests, with a two thirds decline in other types of arrest. Criminal behavior was also found to decline through the Justice Policy Institute study for those who received treatment. An astounding 90 percent of people who were helped to become better citizens reduced criminal behavior, according to this study. While relapse is possible, as discussed earlier, it is less likely that a user will commit crimes when treated than when incarcerated. NBC News reported that 40% of prisoners commit crimes and go back to prison after incarceration, harming communities after jail time. Many programs help addicts become productive members of society, helping to find jobs, homes, and stay away from drugs. The programs follow through and don’t simply release addicts into society; the communities benefit through the additional assistance of finding a job and finding a place to live away from the pressure of drugs or alcohol. The benefits of treatment over incarceration to a community do not have a price tag, but they do have a value. If you’d like to talk more about treatment and its effect on communities, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part One Of Five

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Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part One Of Five: The National Drug Imprisonment Problem In 2004, the state of Maryland, under the Justice Policy Institute, released a study titled, “Treatment or Incarceration?” While the study is dated, many of the points remain true today, because the study reveals that treatment triumphs over incarceration. This is the first of five articles discussing the study, its findings, and how treatment is always better than incarceration, especially in saving state funds. Many states across the nation face fiscal challenges, in part due to the number of drug incarcerations in state prisons. Due to the funds being allocated to prisoners and not to research, states cannot properly research why drug offenders repeatedly find themselves in prison. Many taxpayers are frustrated by the vortex that is drug imprisonment: people are imprisoned, offered no rehabilitation, and are released to become repeat offenders. Many citizens are in favor of judges ordering treatment rather than incarceration, however, more government funds are being allocated to prison over treatment centers. Many treatment centers remain private pay facilities. In Maryland, and across the country, people understand that the prison system is clogged with addicts, not necessarily criminals. Many citizens believe that the prison system can be cleaned out and funds can be reassigned if the government were willing to pay for rehabilitation instead of incarceration. A growing number of people are calling for drug addicts to get help, not locked up, and the reason is because people believe jail is harmful. A number of people polled in the Maryland 2004 study believed that incarcerated individuals are more likely to commit crimes after prison time than before prison. Studies prove that this is true. In 2002, the New York Times reported that the rate of released inmates who commit repeat crimes continues to rise. This means that a drug addict, who may not have committed any major crimes before prison, is far more likely to commit crimes after release from prison, even if the charge is only for the possession of illegal drugs. The same person may not commit any crimes if the sentence were for a rehabilitation facility instead. Unfortunately, not enough studies exist to determine the percentage of people who commit crimes after rehabilitation. The United States government counters these arguments by stating that some violent offenses are committed while the person is on drugs. While this is true, and those people should be incarcerated, it is also true that non-violent people clog the prison system. Those who have never committed a violent act are sent to prison for using and selling drugs when rehabilitation would be far more beneficial. Rehabilitation benefits in other ways as well, as highlighted in the rest of this series of articles on rehabilitation versus incarceration. If you’d like to talk more about rehabilitation versus incarceration, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.    

The Neurological Effects

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The Neurological Effects of Heroin Heroin is known as an opioid drug, synthesized from morphine. While morphine occurs naturally from Asian poppy plants, there is nothing natural about heroin. It typically looks like a brown or white powder, or as “black tar”, a sticky, black substance. The drug has a dependency rate of 23 percent; this is the percent of people who become addicted after just one use. The drug is used by injection, inhalation, or smoking. The drug travels to the brain quickly via all three methods, which is why it is among the most dangerous drugs on the market. Addiction happens quickly and often, and heroin use is a chronic relapsing disease. This is due to the changes it causes in the brain. How it Affects the Brain Upon entrance to the brain, heroin changes back to its original morphine. This drug binds to the brain cells called opioid receptors. These are located all over the brain, but are concentrated in the reward and pain sections. The receptors are also heavily located in the brain stem, which controls a number of functions essential to existence. An overdose of this drug often involves breathing suppression. This leads to hypoxia, or a loss of oxygen to the brain. Depending on how long the sufferer has limited oxygen supply, the effects can vary from psychological damage to brain death. Permanent brain damage is also a possibility with overdose. Heroin produces a euphoric rush, followed by flushed skin, dry mouth, heaviness in the arms and legs, and limited mental functions. After the initial rush, the drug suppresses the user’s brain stem, causing an alternate sleepy to energized state. Research is currently being conducted into the long term effects of this drug on the brain. One of the noted results was tolerance to the drug, another was dependence on the drug, more so than other illicit drugs or alcohol. Some studies return a deterioration of the white matter in the brain through heroin use. If you’d like to talk more about heroin effects on the brain, call the Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

What Is Drug Addiction in Relation to the Brain?

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What Is Drug Addiction in Relation to the Brain? Drug addiction is a full-body issue; every body system is affected and changes in response to the drug use or abuse. However, the brain has a special relationship to drug use, because much of the brain’s chemistry is affected by drugs. While different drugs will change the brain in different ways, there is a very specific science to the changes which occur in the brain with drug use. A Brain Overview The brain is the most complex, and least understood, system in the body. It weighs approximately three pounds and is a mass of gray-ish matter. It is the epicenter of every human movement, decision, and activity. The brain regulates every part of a person’s life, from emotions, to movement, to the ability to breathe and circulate blood. There are many parts that work together to create nature’s most perfect working machine. Each part has an assignment, however, without one part, the other parts simply won’t work. When a drug alters a part of the brain, that part malfunctions, and, as with any machine, the rest of the brain stops working correctly.  Certain drugs will target specific brain areas, however, general areas affected include the brain stem, the cortex, and the limbic system. The Brain Stem This part of the brain controls sleeping, heart rate and breathing. It is located at the bottom of the brain, toward the back of the neck. It connects to the spine, and often helps send signals from the brain to the rest of the body. The Cortex The cerebral cortex, which includes much of the top of the brain, includes a number of different sections and handles a number of different functions. The senses are located here, as is our reasoning and our ability to think. The Limbic System This section is toward the center of the brain, and it includes the pleasure center. Our sense of pride from receiving awards is here, as is our pleasure from eating or socializing. This part of our brain sends pleasure signals which keep us alive. Unfortunately, drug abuse also targets this area, and drugs will replace what some people are missing in life to bring them pleasure. The brain is a complex structure, and it is very fragile. It can be altered by most drugs on the legal, and illegal, market. If you’d like to talk about drugs and effects on the brain, call Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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