wilkes

Now understand I'm not advocating forced treatment either. I've seen judges try that and it's just a distraction for the people there wanting help and a waste of resources.

Fins,
My apologies on the troll issue.

The troll comment wasn't for you.

I agree agree with you in theory. However, I've realized the system of persecution does nothing to break the pattern. And I have seen rehab work. I've also seen people who's lives are miserable and watched them cry about how bad they want to stay clean, then an hour after they left rehab, drink their self into the hospital. It's a painful and complicated struggle for people to suffer from.

Fins,
Not a troll, and haven't lied about anything, just never had a hug-a-thug mentality, I think people who break the law should be punished.

Nothing is going to be done any different then what is being done. To much money, to many people getting rich off addicts. Hello, even the CIA is dealing drugs. We got to go after the cops, the judges and the DA's if we ever hope to make an improvement. The bad part is that it is the cops, the judges and the DA's who have to act.

First, the troll shouldn't be allowed in this thread because all of his information is lies and wrong.

Absolutely all 40 people arrested are addicts. Sober people don't sell drugs. Not at the level they were at anyway. You might get some big business sober guy way up the chain hauling the stuff in, but 99% of the people selling down the chain are addicts. You've seen too many movies. Also, combined these 40 people had $750 worth each. None of them had "large numbers"

To address a couple points, if a drunk driver injures or kills someone, they should go to jail. But putting an alcoholic in jail just for drunk driving isn't going to get them to go sober. Locking up drug users isn't going to get them clean. Of course, forcing people into rehab doesn't work either. But we would be much more effective to stop wasting money arresting people for victimless crimes and invest that money in treatment programs. And changing the public attitude so people won't be ashamed of getting treatment will make a difference.

Hangs,
It appears there is only 1 privately owned/operated prison in NC (Rivers Correctional, Hertford Co.) and since it has a contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to hold federal inmates and since all 40 of these drug dealers are facing state charges and don't appear to be federal inmates, "for profit prisons" played zero role in anything going on in NC.

If you make the punishment to much, they will kill to stay out. They will still do the crime, of course.

Like has been said, they go into the system come out of the system and then right back into the system.

There needs to be something done.

1. Make it to where no one wants to go into the system.

2. Make it to where if your in the system, when you get out that you will say I never will go back in there.

I haven't went to prison but it seems people don't mind it that much, or they wouldn't put there self into a situation where they could go back.

For profit prisons.

What if? Those in charge are not going to create that program. There is to much money to be made off addicts. There is the bribes, the court costs, the lawyer fees, pay rolls, the drug companies and the money from the sale of drugs. They don't want fewer addicts, they want more.

Imagine if that same young lady could have put, rehab instead of jail on your application. Imagine if she had a sponsor that she could depend on to give her guidance.

I know a young lady who was arrested with a large amount of pills. She was holding for a drug dealer. Still she went to jail for years. After she was released she could not find a job because of the jail time. She ended up going back to jail for drugs again. She is out now and I am pretty sure she is still dealing. She made one mistake that has controlled her life. If someone had given her a chance by employing her the first time, it might have been different.

Yes, being released from jail or prison is not setting up the addict for a better life. They simply paid for a crime that society believes was committed. Jail or prison is not set up to help anyone and that's why the recidivate rate is so high.

The truth is these people with a large amount of drugs are doing one of two things. They are dealing or holding for a dealer. Forgiving them and forcing them to go for rehab will do nothing in the long run but make things worse.

FWIW,
I have family members who are addicts, some have spent time in jail, prison and rehab, some ended up in the cemetery. I had an uncle killed by a drunk driver. I've had family who were victims of crimes, some we know were committed by people furthering their drug habit, some cases went unsolved. The one common thread was every addict always wanted to change and do better, usually right after they went to jail or prison, but as soon as they were released they went right back to their old friends and their old ways.

I feel sorry for addicts but they got themselves into this and most don't want out. The ones that want out go and get help for themselves. If you know an addict, you know a thief. That is the true nature of things. Hard work for those who are arrested will make them think twice before using again. Put them to work on farms and clear two problems at once. It will stop them from using and stealing and it will cut down on the need for illegal workers.

Hangs,
So you're saying just because a person had a large amount of illegal dope they're not a dope dealer, whatever. I think because a lot of felony cases get plead down to lesser crimes says more about our prosecutors office than it does about the strength of the cases, the cops or even the person charged.

Watch the Pharmacist on Netflix. It gives you a look at how epidemics starts. It is really interesting and eye opening.