| In late December, President Obama signed the Fiscal | | | | can't cure addiction by throwing an addict in jail. You |
| Year 2010 Appropriations Bill, which includes $88 million | | | | also can't cure addiction by the "Just Say No" |
| for Drug Courts. This is a $25 million increase over | | | | philosophy of former First Lady, Nancy Reagan. As |
| last year's mark, according to the NADCP (National | | | | several addicted people have said to me, "If we |
| Association of Drug Court Professionals). I doubt a lot | | | | could just say no, we would." |
| of President Obama's enemies will give him much | | | | Addiction is an insidious disease, it's quite often fatal. |
| credit for this but what a wonderful thing it is. Those | | | | It affects not only the addicted person but everyone |
| of us who have suffered and struggled with our | | | | surrounding him/her. It's an equal opportunity |
| child's addiction, not wanting them to go to prison for | | | | destroyer of lives. Even if you don't know any |
| a drug-related non-violent crime, applaud the | | | | addicts personally, they can still have a profound |
| president for his forward thinking. | | | | impact on your life; whether it be from crimes |
| Another forward thinking person in this country | | | | committed by them to obtain money to buy drugs |
| concerned with addiction is William Ray Price, Jr., | | | | or the financial impact of their actions on your |
| Missouri Chief Justice. To quote Chief Justice Price - | | | | community. |
| "One thing we should do immediately is increase our | | | | Most addicted people do not want to be addicted. |
| investment in Drug Courts and expand that effort to | | | | They started down this path when they were young |
| DWI Courts. Illegal drug use drives crime. Depending | | | | and then found out too late that they couldn't break |
| upon the study, 60 to 80 percent of crime involves | | | | free. Drug Courts save us money. They save lives. |
| drug use. We also know that simple incarceration, no | | | | They save parents' sanity. They do good. We need |
| matter how expensive, does not cure addiction. | | | | them, lots of them, in every state in our country. |
| Treatment combined with strict judicial oversight | | | | As Chief Justice Price says, "We may have been |
| does." | | | | tough on crime, but we have not been smart on |
| Surely there are a lot of others in our judicial system | | | | crime." Please write to your representatives and urge |
| and government who echo these sentiments. We | | | | them to set up Drug Courts in your area, if you don't |
| need all of them to stand up and support Drug | | | | have any. You can even learn how to set up a Drug |
| Courts. More and more people are beginning to see | | | | Court system where you live. |
| the need for this. Not that long ago, about 7 ½ | | | | By visiting the NADCP site, you can learn how to |
| years, a good friend went before our local judge and | | | | send a letter, already crafted for you, to your |
| pleaded with him to put her son in a Drug Court | | | | member of Congress. As Plato said, "Good actions |
| program and to please not throw him in jail. His crime | | | | give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in |
| was non-violent; in fact the only crime he'd | | | | others." It's time to act upon this pressing need now |
| committed was using drugs. | | | | and to inspire others to do the same. |
| This young man needed help, not incarceration. You | | | | |