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Incarceration

Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Five Of Five

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Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Five Of Five: Overview of Treatment in Washington State As the nation pays attention to treatment over incarceration, Washington state isn’t snoozing. There are a number of methods to get state help with addiction, and much of the information is available here, as well as on the state’s website at www.dshs.wa.gov. Priority Patients There are some patients who receive priority in state run rehabilitation facilities, such as: Pregnant women using IV drugs Pregnant women (though IV users get precedence) Other IV users Post-partum women, up to a year Parents involved in Child Protective Services cases Parents Youth The Process Washington state wants to make the process of getting help as simple as possible, but there is a necessary process to complete. First,  a person seeking help must apply for Apple Health, which is Washington’s state-run health insurance coverage and low-income assistance program. The program covers a number of different situations, and is the first stop for those seeking rehabilitation assistance from the state. Next, find a program that works for you. Washington state has categorized their programs into different types, such as a program for children, one for pregnant women, and one for providers of addicted youth. The state also supplies resources for anyone not in a prioritized category, such as places to find rehabilitative care, hospitals equipped with emergency facilities for addicts, directories of chemical dependency services around the state, and much more. Anyone with a drug addiction, no matter status, age, or condition, can find information on getting help through the Washington state website. The information is clear and concise, but if there are any questions, a Washington state health employee can help. Simply call or visit a Washington state local health services office. If you’d like to discuss more on specific services in Washington state, you can also call the Vancouver Home Health Care Agency. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Four Of Five

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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 Three Of Five

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Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Three Of Five: The Cost Effectiveness of Treatment Broken Down Part two of this series reviewed how treatment costs less than incarceration. However, the Justice Policy Institute released an in-depth look at the overall cost effectiveness of treatment, and found that, dollar for dollar, treatment is better. The study found that, when using a cost-benefit analysis, treatment benefited employment rates, tax revenues, and society as a whole. The study discovered that drug treatment programs inside a prison only yielded a benefit of approximately two dollars for every dollar spent on the program. However, outside treatment programs, such as a work release program, yielded a nearly nine dollar benefit for every dollar spent. Additionally, individuals attending programs outside prison tend to finish the programs, as compared to in prison programs, and have lower recidivism rates. A number of other programs were found to be cost effective as well, such as community-based substance abuse treatment, intensive supervision programs, work release, and post-incarceration programming. The study did find, however, that some programs showed no significant payback on dollars spent, such as case management substance abuse programs. The economic benefits of individuals living in the communities, building families, and working to provide back into the local economy was not measured in this study, however, it is recognized as an advantage to the community. While it is difficult to measure this advantage, it is still noted that having people at home rather than tying up the prison system is preferable after their rehabilitation measures are completed. Basically, these programs return nearly eight dollars in benefits to society for every one dollar spent on treatment. It makes economic sense, when broken down into these numbers, to choose treatment over incarceration. The research is available and it is conclusive, so taxpayers are beginning to turn their attention to treatment and how to allocate government funds to treatment programs over incarceration. If you’d like to talk more about the economic breakdown of rehabilitation, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Two Of Five

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Incarceration Vs. Treatment Part Two Of Five: Treatment is Less Expensive than Incarceration This is the second part of a five part series on treatment versus incarceration, based on a 2004 study completed by the Justice Policy Institute in Maryland. The findings of the study remain true today, because legislation has not budged in its insistence on incarcerating low-level drug offenders. However, the study found that treatment ordered for these individuals can be cheaper for taxpayers than incarceration of the same individuals. While the numbers are dated, the samples remain the same today. In 1997, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, or CSAT, published a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment services offered by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The report found that the treatment proved cost effective, especially over incarceration. Costs, at that time, ranged from $1,500 per person to $6,500 per person. Even with inflation and today’s rates, that cost is still significantly less than incarceration. The United States government put it simply on its drugabuse.gov website, in today’s numbers. One year of methamphetamine rehabilitation costs $4,700 per patient, while one year of incarceration for the same person costs taxpayers $24,000 per person. It’s simple to see which option is the better financial option, and the least amount of burden on the taxpaying communities of every state in the nation. However, the question remains: do addicts return to their habits after rehabilitation? The sad answer is, yes, they do, however, as stated in part one of this series, addicts entering prison are more likely to commit a crime than those who enter rehabilitation. Therefore, even though the person may need repeated rehabilitation services, the cost will still remain lower than sending the same person to prison, risking their return to prison through crimes that would not have been committed if the person had simply went to rehabilitation. Unfortunately, drugabuse.gov tells us that 40-60% of users relapse after rehabilitation, however, even repeated visits to rehabilitation facilities equals less money spent than one year of incarceration. Many states are looking at treatment as an alternative to incarceration, especially as taxpayers realize the associated costs. Brooklyn, in New York City, has been using a rehabilitation option for nearly two decades, with higher rates of employment and small rates of repeated criminal activity. Drug addiction, when treated as a mental disease and not a crime, costs less for society, as the 2004 Justice Policy Institute study proves. The study’s findings hold true today, when a number of communities are turning to rehabilitation over incarceration. If you’d like to talk more about the cost of incarceration versus rehabilitation, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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