THE PROBLEM, and the SOURCE
People who are incarcerated for drug use and/or possession need to be treated drastically different by the punishment they are given. Conclusive research suggests that addiction is a disease and should be treated as one. The convicted still must be held accountable for their actions. This is not in dispute. However, instead of immediate jailtime a larger emphasis should be placed on effective rehabiliation centers. The federal government should handle this issue and revise the current system because it is a matter that affects all communities, welfare, and economy. It is unknown precisely why this issue is existent, but a large reason seems to be due to the inconsistent treatment philsophy between correctional environments. Without consistent and strict law, many patients aren't receiving the help they need. Policy in these matters is also extremely expensive. This is an issue we are aware of. Proper treatment can cost up to $6,800 per client, states a policy report by Douge McVay(research director for Common Sense for Drug Policy).

THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE
This is a very serious problem as many americans use and abuse drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that roughly 9.3% of people aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug problem in 2009. 12 million people are reported to abuse painkillers. This caused 475,000 emergency department visits the same year. This problem harms not only welfare but the economy. A survey in 2005 showed that 61 billion dollars were spent on painkillers alone.

DRUG USE IN OREGON
Drugs and improper treatment is an issue all over the United States of America. In our community and state it is exceedingly severe. In Oregon, illicit drug use surpasses the national average. According to the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, Oregon is ranked fourth for drug use with individuals twelve and up and 23% of oregon prisons hold drug offenders.

AWARENESS AND CURRENT APPROACHES
Many people know of this issue, but the policy doesn't yield affective results - as is seen by the rate of those convicted of drug abuse repeating their crimes and ending up back in the same cell. Currently 63.6% of jails, 67.1% of state prisons, and 86.8% of federal prisons provide assessment for drug related treatment. NIDA(National Drug Abuse Treatment) adjusts protocols and CJ-DATS(Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies) implements new treatment model solutions into the criminal justice system. Surveys consistently suggest that some people believe addiction is not a disease but a plain choice of action. Some individuals also believe that jailing someone alone is an effective solution.