Our perceptions of drug addiction are shifting in the United States. We are finally starting to ask if the way that we treat those with drug addiction is really the best way to address our current drug epidemic.
Despite its growing drug problem, Kentucky has been slightly slower than many other states in keeping up with this evolution. But there are signs that we are heading in the right direction, specifically in regard to our use of drug courts.
However, for those facing drug charges in Kentucky, there are still stiff penalties and fines. And because of financial hurdles in our state, drug courts have had to fight for funding in order to keep their doors open.
Changes in the Way We Treat Drug Addicts
Last year, Kentucky changed its policy on dealing with opioid addicts, doing away with a rule that required addicts to taper off of treatment medication within six months of a date designated by the courts. The transition from drug abstinence as the go-to solution for drug problems represented a growing consensus in the medical community that drugs like methadone and buprenorphine can help addicts cope with addiction and reduce the likelihood of relapses.
It was a big step forward for a state that has experienced a growing number of heroin users after cracking down on prescription painkillers. The harder we tried to crack down on drug users, the worse the problems became. The struggles in the state with addiction and overdoses have given credence to the argument that tougher punishment and abstinence-only approaches to drug addiction simply do not work.
But the change in policy wasn’t necessarily all good news for drug addicts in Kentucky. While it did represent a step in the right direction, putting addicts into drug treatment programs was a decision left up to judges, meaning that while a “treatment over punishment” approach was now possible in Kentucky, it certainly wasn’t guaranteed.
A Close Call for Kentucky Drug Courts
In March, it was reported that budgetary constraints for judicial court might force many drug courts in Kentucky to close their doors. If that happened, drug addicts would not have been given the treatment that the medical community deems necessary. Fortunately, the Senate and House approved $34 million to be allocated toward drug courts to keep them running.
The Best Thing For Addicts
In his book Chasing the Scream, author Johann Hari talks at length about the best way to combat drug addiction. Hari says that by imprisoning addicts and punishing them for their illness, we are actually presenting them with obstacles that make it even more difficult to break the endless cycle of addiction. The best way to treat these people, says Hari, is to help them reconnect and become more engaged, by treating them with medication and helping them find jobs and meaning in their own lives.
As it stands, drug courts are one of the few hopes for drug addicts in our state. While our court system is far from perfect and we still have some ways to go in the way we understand and treat those with serious drug problems in Kentucky, offering treatment over jail time is a big step in the right direction.
Drug Courts Make Sense Financially
Kentucky’s jails are struggling to accommodate the number of inmates that pass through the system. Our prisons are at or exceeding maximum capacity. The cost of incarceration is proving to be an enormous burden on our state’s resources.
Imprisoning simple drug addicts is not only bad for the addicts themselves, it’s adding to the overpopulation crisis facing our jail system. As of now, drug courts are one of the few solutions we have to these problems.
