Describe a policy initiative implemented by nurse leaders from a national professional nursing association, Alternatives to Jail For Drug Related Crimes Alternatives to Jail For Drug-Related Crimes the processes used by the organization in formulating and implementing a policy agenda, and the current outcomes of the initiative.

Alternatives to Jail For Drug-Related Crimes

Distribution and abuse of illegal drugs and substances is a serious offense culpable for prosecution in the United States. Studies show that about 50% of the 7 million individuals incarcerated in US prisons are drug abusers or addicts (Garrett et al., 2019). However, the big question has been how effective incarceration is in the process of combating the menace of drug abuse. The point that authorities and prosecutors seem to overlook is the fact that suffering from drug and substance abuse is already a hefty punishment, and these people need more help than sending them to jail. There should be alternative punishment meted out to individuals found guilty of drug abuse, and such alternatives should focus on rehabilitating the person to become a useful member of society again. President Richard Nixon’s 1971 law that termed drug abuse and related crime a number one public enemy saw the militarization of law enforcement agencies in handling drug-related crimes (Hudak, 2022). The law targeted poor and diverse American communities and has cost American taxpayers millions of dollars, but it has proved ineffective. Individuals suffering from drug addiction should not be incarcerated because if given the opportunity for rehabilitation, such people will live a life with fewer crimes, significantly reducing the crowding in prisons, a move that will not only increase productivity in society but also save the state massive resources channeled to prisons.

Drug-related crimes usually are committed by people who are in active addiction, and sending these people to jail will not reduce the crimes or make these people change. Studies show that over 85% of inmates are active drug users after being incarcerated for drug-related offenses (NIDA, 2020). Ironically, 5% of these inmates receive relevant treatment. These statistics show that incarceration has not been an effective method in handling the recidivism rate and overall crimes related to drug and substance abuse. The criminal system should come up with addiction treatment centers as relevant intervention strategies for drug abuse and related crimes. Some states have made strides toward addressing substance use as a disease that needs to be treated, not penalized. Such states are devising behavioral and therapeutic alternatives to sending individuals battling addiction to jail. One dollar spent on drug courts is estimated to save approximately $4 in avoided costs of incarceration and health care, and prison-based treatment saves $2 to $6. Statistics reveal that approximately 68% of drug-related crimes are more likely to go back to their criminal lifestyle three years after their release from prison (Copp, 2019). These tendencies have resulted in a complex cycle of drug-related crimes that cannot be broken through incarceration. Law enforcement agencies should shift their tactics from arresting drug-related offenders to focusing on approaches that can help individuals suffering from addicts to regain a healthy lifestyle.

There are other routes that the criminal justice system can pursue to combat drug-related crimes than sending the offenders to prison. The most popular alternatives to incarceration for drug addiction are drug courts, community probation, and diversion programs. Individuals who participated in prison-based treatment followed by a community-based program post-incarceration were seven times more likely to be drug-free and three times less likely to be arrested for criminal behavior than those not receiving treatment (Copp, 2019). Offering alternative treatment to drug-related offenders allows the criminal justice system to change these people’s lives. Some of these techniques should target to attract drug-related crimes to volunteer to join treatment programs before they get into loggerheads with the criminal justice system. Authorities should monitor and utilize leverage and the threat of legal sanctions to compel drug offenders into joining beneficial programs for their rehabilitation (Garrett et al., 2019). The fact that inmates use drugs while behind bars shows that incarceration is far from handling the problem of drug-related crimes in the United States. The federal and state governments should pump more resources into drug addiction treatment centers where all drug offenders are sent for periodical rehabilitation before setting them into society. Besides, the criminal justice system can combine incarceration with probation and community supervision. Drug-related offenders can be granted parole after completing their rehabilitation programs to allow the authorities to monitor such individuals and determine if they have fully recovered into law-abiding citizens. These measures will go a long way in reducing the crowding in prisons, saving millions of taxpayers’ money, and combating drug-related crimes in society.

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