Wally Nesby

Correctional Issue in Drug Abuse

Prisons have increasingly become the most effective places for drug treatment. The number of inmates has more than doubled in the last decade, and a staggering three-quarters are recidivists. Furthermore, more than half have a history of substance abuse, and more than half reported using drugs or alcohol within a month before they committed their crime. These figures are particularly disturbing, given that the incarceration rate for people with substance abuse problems is much higher than for those without such a history.