Comments on: Taking Back Vancouver’s Hastings Street http://thesecretsofvancouver.com/wordpress/taking-back-vancouvers-hastings-street/activists “Where Just Being 'Right' Is Wrong" Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Pearce Richards http://thesecretsofvancouver.com/wordpress/taking-back-vancouvers-hastings-street/activists/comment-page-1#comment-1412 Pearce Richards Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:14:25 +0000 http://thesecretsofvancouver.com/wordpress/?p=3895#comment-1412 <i>arrest the drug users. Put them in jail. Dry them out and then offer them rehab if they’d like to be released.</i> The problem with this idea is that drugs are almost easier to get in jail, where there is even more unsafe use and further spread of HIV / Hepatitis. Instead of jail, the focus needs to be on long-term assisted living rehabilitation outside of the DTES. Get the people out of the slums, into a 14-21 day detox, into a 3-6 month recovery house, and into sustainable housing where they have the fundamentals of improving their social situation. This is a much better option than sending addicts to jail where they stay addicted, spread disease through unsafe use, and perpetuate the criminal cycle at the expense of the taxpayer. Jail is a useless expense (60-90K/year per inmate), as a conservative (small c) I would predict you would rather spend government money on something that works. Right? arrest the drug users. Put them in jail. Dry them out and then offer them rehab if they’d like to be released.

The problem with this idea is that drugs are almost easier to get in jail, where there is even more unsafe use and further spread of HIV / Hepatitis. Instead of jail, the focus needs to be on long-term assisted living rehabilitation outside of the DTES.

Get the people out of the slums, into a 14-21 day detox, into a 3-6 month recovery house, and into sustainable housing where they have the fundamentals of improving their social situation. This is a much better option than sending addicts to jail where they stay addicted, spread disease through unsafe use, and perpetuate the criminal cycle at the expense of the taxpayer.

Jail is a useless expense (60-90K/year per inmate), as a conservative (small c) I would predict you would rather spend government money on something that works. Right?

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