US prisoners 'not being given addiction treatment'

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by Change | 14 Jan 2009

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Prisoners who could benefit from substance addiction rehabilitation treatment are not being given this opportunity, research reveals.

A large proportion of prisoners who could benefit from drug abuse treatment do not receive it, a new study suggests.

Research from the National Institute on drug abuse (NIDA) and published in the journal of the American Medical Association found almost half of those in the criminal justice system are dependent on drugs but less than a fifth get help.

It states that for every dollar spent on substance abuse rehabilitation programs, $4 are saved on incarcerations and healthcare, while prison-based treatment save the taxpayer between $2 and $6.

Nora Volkow, MD, NIDA director and the co-author of the research, claims treating people with these conditions improves public health and safety.

She states: "Providing drug abusers with treatment also makes it less likely that these abusers will return to the criminal justice system."

Meanwhile, Redonna Chandler, MD, principal author and chief of the organisation's services research branch, comments the prison system does not understand the illness.

"[It] often fails to view [it] as a medical condition - as a consequence, its treatment is not as available as it is for other medical conditions," she says.

The Boston Herald reports figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the number of drug addiction counselor jobs will grow by 34 per cent between 2006 and 2016.

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