According to the latest data tracked by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, alcohol and drug counseling is available to over 40% of inmates in the US, in federal, state, and local incarceration facilities. And that number is a result of the estimated 70-85% of inmates with current and former drug and alcohol abuse problems. However, only about 11% of inmates receive any type of help or have access to these programs.

The problem of inmate drug treatment is, then, not an issue that is removed from our cities and neighborhoods. It is a societal problem and we fund it every day through our tax dollars. Recent figures indicate that the US spends about $3,000 on every inmate in a drug treatment program. That number is on top of the already $20,000-24,000 it takes to house an individual inmate each year.

There is no doubt that inmate treatment programs help some inmates to get off addictive substances and rehabilitate back into society. For example, estimates say that of the approximately $3,000 spent to rehabilitate an inmate, more than $9,000 are saved in society from drug crimes. That is an almost three-fold investment by the state. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that of those who received substance abuse treatment in prison, only a little over 3% were arrested again within 6 months, compared to approximately 12% of those inmates who did not receive treatment. Further, only 20.5% of those who received treatment were likely to use drugs again in the first 6 months after being released, but almost 38% of those who did not receive treatment were likely to reuse in the same period.

Despite these successes, tax dollars can only go so far, and 60-75% of inmates who need substance abuse counseling are still not receiving it. But instead of finding new ways to fund recovery, perhaps there are better ways the money can be spent on prevention programs. If many of these inmates were not introduced to drugs in the first place, they may never have been inmates at all.

According to the latest data tracked by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, alcohol and drug counseling is available to over 40% of inmates in the US, in federal, state, and local incarceration facilities. And that number is a result of the estimated 70-85% of inmates with current and former drug and alcohol abuse problems. However, only about 11% of inmates receive any type of help or have access to these programs.  The problem of inmate drug treatment is, then, not an issue that is removed from our cities and neighborhoods. It is a societal problem and we fund it every day through our tax dollars. Recent figures indicate that the US spends about $3,000 on every inmate in a drug treatment program. That number is on top of the already $20,000-24,000 it takes to house an individual inmate each year.  There is no doubt that inmate treatment programs help some inmates to get off addictive substances and rehabilitate back into society. For example, estimates say that of the approximately $3,000 spent to rehabilitate an inmate, more than $9,000 are saved in society from drug crimes. That is an almost three-fold investment by the state. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that of those who received substance abuse treatment in prison, only a little over 3% were arrested again within 6 months, compared to approximately 12% of those inmates who did not receive treatment. Further, only 20.5% of those who received treatment were likely to use drugs again in the first 6 months after being released, but almost 38% of those who did not receive treatment were likely to reuse in the same period.  Despite these successes, tax dollars can only go so far, and 60-75% of inmates who need substance abuse counseling are still not receiving it. But instead of finding new ways to fund recovery, perhaps there are better ways the money can be spent on prevention programs. If many of these inmates were not introduced to drugs in the first place, they may never have been inmates at all.