First as a participant, then as a mentor, I have watched participants of Nevada County Drug Court for four years. There are those who are not ready to change, but there are numerous graduates who have gone on to stay clean and be productive members of society.

While I believe that people who commit violent crimes should be prosecuted accordingly, a segment of society thinks every addict should be locked up. They believe addiction is simply a moral decision. Perhaps if they understood there are effective resources to help addicts and their families enter recovery, they would see things differently.

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