Pubdate: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 Source: Baltimore Sun (MD) Copyright: 2000 The Baltimore Sun, a Times Mirror Newspaper. Contact: 501 N. Calvert Street P.0. Box 1377 Baltimore, MD 21278 Fax: (410) 315-8912 Website: http://www.sunspot.net/ Forum: http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/ultbb/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro Author: Kate Bieler, The writer is a correctional addictions counselor at the Baltimore County Women's Detention Center. BETTER DRUG TREATMENT MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED A MOTHER'S OVERDOSE The recent drug-overdose death of the young Baltimore City woman who left four young children motherless, LaVenia Morrison, might have been averted if the powers that be would realize this area's great need for drug treatment programs ("Grip of drugs seen in woman's death," Sept. 15). I am a drug counselor at the Baltimore County women's detention center in Towson, and I can tell you this "lock 'em up and throw away the key" mentality is simply not working. Our jails are overflowing with drug-related charges and convictions. but building or expanding jails is not the answer. In my five years of experience at the jail, I've found that it is the addict who leaves jail and goes into a drug treatment program who has the best shot at a productive life and at staying out of jail. I attempt to get such women into drug treatment on a daily basis, and I continually run up against financial obstacles. Yet we're willing to pay for them to sit in jail, be released and go through the cycle all over again. Treatment works and is much more cost effective than jail. But now, because this woman didn't have a Social Security card and couldn't get treatment, she is dead and gone, leaving her four children motherless and placing even greater costs on society, in every way. Let's wake up and see what drug addiction is doing to our city and county -- and understand that there's a better way to deal with this problem. Kate Bieler Baltimore The writer is a correctional addictions counselor at the Baltimore County Women's Detention Center. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck