Cape 20 Something

Forget the "quick fix" of incarcerating drug offenders

Getting first-time drug offenders on the Cape out of our prisons & into treatment

As you must know, drugs are rampant on the Cape and are causing an average of 6 deaths each year, making our area 5th out of 14 counties in Massachusetts for drug-related deaths. Overdose fatalities due to heroin alone have increased 600% since 1990, seeing as it is the most popular drug recently. Other drug overdose fatalities have increased by 10% though.

The Cape is thought of as a renowned vacation spot where only the wealthy can afford to work, live, and vacation. And I thought so too until one early morning when I was in eighth grade several years ago, I woke up to a group of police surrounding my home, coming in through windows, and arresting my seventeen-year-old brother in his pajamas for his very first drug charge. No one ever suspects the Cape is riddled with drug addiction and drug-related crime, but I have grown up surrounded by extreme drug use and abuse in this town. 

I am sharing my concern, but also hope to spread awareness to those who have the power to make changes. I suggest first-time drug offenders are given the option of attending drug treatment upon being arrested for a drug-related crime. Drug treatment has been proven successful—reducing future usage by 17% and re-arrest rates within 6 months after release by almost 10%. Some treatment centers in the Greater Boston area have success rates up to 75%. Getting nice little success story out of every offender is just too much to ask for, but even if just one patient leaves Gosnold every week and chooses to never use again, isn’t that one life saved worth it?

Treatment is critical in breaking the cycle of drug use that leads to incarceration. Not only will drug treatment save lives, but it will also save money. Drug use and abuse costs America about $180 billion each year due to crime, productivity loss, incarceration, and other costs. One inmate alone in a local jail can cost up to $67,000 for one year, whereas a multi-week inpatient rehab program at Gosnold costs only $16,000 comparably. Research suggests that just $1 spent on treatment will save society $3 in the long run.

Isn’t it the long run that matters? Let’s face it; jail does not prevent future use, addiction, and crime; for if it did, my brother’s first time in jail several years ago would have prevented the uncountable other drug-related arrests that have occurred since that early-morning drug raid in Falmouth. Let’s forget about the “quick fix” jail-time provides. Let’s make changes now.