Addiction is
Not a Crime

It Is Time to Do Something About It

A Flawed System

• Millions

  are imprisoned in The U.S.
  for non-violent drug charges.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Three-strikes-and-you’re-out-laws
  put offenders in prison

  for life.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

It Costs You

• $64,000

  
  to keep a person in prison for a year.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• or







• $2,555

  
  to treat the same person in Drug Courts for a year.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• That's a difference of over

  $61,000!









• Drug Courts

  are the alternative.

Drug Courts

• Drug Courts provide an

  alternative to jail time

  
  for addicts who commit nonviolent crimes.
  

• 48%

  of individuals who do not participate in addiction treatment return to jail.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 71% to 96%

  of individuals who go through the justice system and receive aftercare services
  

  do not return to jail

  .

Addiction is a Disease

• Addiction is a complex but

  treatable disease

  
  that affects brain function and behavior.
  
  
  

• 
  
  
  

  Effective

  treatment attends to the
  

  multiple needs

  
  of an individual, not just drug abuse.
  

The Treatment

• Medically assisted detoxification

  is only the

  first

   stage of addiction treatment
  and by itself does little to change long–term drug abuse.
  

• Remaining in treatment

  for an adequate period of time is

  critical.

  
  


• 
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Counseling

  is the most commonly used form of drug abuse treatment.
  

What Can You Do?

• Support the ACLU to raise awareness about drug sentencing and penalties.
  
  

• Spread the Word

  
  
  
• Like ACLU on Facebook, follow @ACLU on twitter, or visit ACLU.org.
  
  
• 
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