Source: Chicago Tribune Contact: Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/ Pubdate: Feb. 2, 1998 Section: sec. 1, page 10 INCARCERATION NO CURE FOR ADDICTION CHICAGO - The U.S. Justice Department's recent report that the number of Americans in jail has increased 9 percent despite a slight decline in crime rate (Main news, Jan. 19) highlights the ever-present problem of what to do with the large volumes of non-violent, drug-involved offenders who are crowding our courts, jails and corrections systems. People who have committed drug-related offenses represent by far the fastest-growing jail and prison population over the last two decades. When considered in conjunction with the Tribune's recent report that the number of hard-core drug users in Cook County may be almost triple the original estimates (Metro, Dec. 12), it becomes evident that hundreds of thousands of individuals are cycling through our courts and corrections systems, yet few are being rehabilitated. The burden on our criminal justice and other social systems is overwhelming. Fortunately, there have been recent efforts in Illinois to begin to manage this problem by identifying offenders in need of substance-abuse treatment and using the sanctions of the criminal justice system to steer individuals through the rehabilitation process. Judges, policymakers and community treatment providers are recognizing that incarceration will never significantly reduce the incidence of addiction-driven criminal behavior - because incarceration does not cure addiction. There is a new emphasis on developing effective interventions - from drug courts to day reporting centers to corrections-based treatment programs - that can successfully address the unique clinical needs of this population, monitor their rehabilitation and help reintegrate them back into their communities. Supporting this trend has been a flood of independent research that demonstrates that community-based substance abuse treatment systems working in conjunction with the criminal justice system are not only successful in reducing drug use and recidivism but are also far less expensive for taxpayers. Despite these encouraging efforts, the major hindrance in effecting major change is the allocation of resources. Latest statistics suggest that fewer than 5 percent of the drug-involved offenders in our jail and prison systems have access to treatment resources, and only a fraction of the government's expenditures on drug control is allocated to treatment. As our understanding of the nature of substance abuse and its relationship to crime improves, so must our approach to treating the substance-abuse problem. Traditional incarceration alone will not resolve the complex issues surrounding substance abuse and addiction. We must develop integrated service systems that can effectively address these serious issues if we are to have any success in our battle against this pervasive problem. Melody M. Heaps President, TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities)