Recidivism refers to a person’s relapse back into criminal behavior, often after the person receives sanctions for a previous crime, within a three-year period of time after their initial release. At the top of the list of those experiencing recidivism are drug offenders with a 76.9% of being rearrested within a 3 year period. As teenagers, I’m sure many of us know about, have seen, or know someone who uses drugs. Personally, I have witnessed what drugs can do to a person mentally, physically, and emotionally and how the cycle of recidivism really never ends once it starts. Recidivism is a result of jails and federal prisons neglecting to treat a repeat offender’s addiction. I believe repeat drug-crime offenders should be given rehabilitation for their addiction rather than being thrown in jail multiple times without counseling which they need. Correctional officers typically do not have the educational experience to handle those going through withdrawals in jail and cannot properly help them. Often times, people who are repeat drug-crime offenders suffer more from mental and/or physical health issues than just addiction and jail time only separates repeat offenders from their addiction, not cures them of it. It prolongs their withdrawals from their substance of choice. With correct rehabilitation, they are less likely to wind up back in a correctional facility for the same or a similar offense, thus ending the cycle of recidivism.
To become a correctional officer you must have a “high school diploma or equivalent; some college coursework may be required”. To become an addiction counselor you must have “at least a bachelors or master’s degree (depending on depth of study) and have completed a dissertation and have previous experience as a counselor.” To have a PhD in this field requires 5-7 years of study and another dissertation. Withdrawals can attest to many symptoms emotionally and physically, some including anxiety, depression, irritability, nausea, inability to breathe, racing heart, and so on. Dangerous and life-threatening symptoms occurring as a result of drug withdrawal include: seizures, heart attacks, hallucinations, delirium tremens, and strokes.
Though correctional officers may be put through basic EMT training, they are not well prepared for the easily missed and fast-striking symptoms of withdrawal. In a 2010 study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, it was found that only 11% of substance abusers receive any type of professional treatment in jail and less than 1 percent are provided with medically assisted detoxification. Each year, hundreds die in jails across the nation due to lack of professional medical attention. By giving those who are being incarcerated for drug-related crimes rehabilitation with those trained in the correct field, we can minimize physical ailments and deaths related to withdrawal and begin the treatment for addiction.
Relating to acute drug withdrawal which can last past 3 weeks, time in jail for petty repeat offenses only separates the addict from their substance of choice allowing their addiction to thrive. Untreated withdrawal and prolonged longing for a drug while in jail can and will cause a negative “rehabilitation” experience in the mind of an addict, making them much less likely to seek rehab on their own upon their release and to fall back into a drug-habit continuing the cycle of recidivism. Imagine seeing a loved one, newly released from their confines of yet another jail visit, rejecting help for their addiction due to their fear that it would be anything like their experience in jail. They are fearful of experiencing excruciating pain and criticism during withdrawals, so they turn back to their substance and continue a habit, landing them right back where they once were. Studies have proven that jail is inefficient in the treatment of individuals with recurrent addiction trouble. It only takes an existing problem and makes it worse.