REFORM TREATMENT IN PRISON

Drug and alcohol treatment in prison will save billions of dollars and significantly reduce crime, according to a 281-page report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University released on January 8 (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University, "Behind Bars: Substance Abuse and America's Prison Population," January 1998; Christopher Wren, "Alcohol or Drug Link Seen in 80% of Jailings," New York Times, January 9, 1998, p. A11; Ronald J. Ostrow, "Drugs, …

…in the criminal justice system. However, in response to the CASA study, McCaffrey said, "When it comes to drug treatment, the federal government will not be the solution." [*A regular drug user is defined as someone who used an illegal drug, including marijuana, at least once per week for four weeks. This is an absurdly over inclusive definition. This term includes millions of Americans who have not used any illegal drug in years. -- EES]