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4th Annual Georgia School of Addiction Studies
Aug. 30-Sept. 03, 2010
Hyatt Regency Savannah Click Here

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Round-Table

This page features ideas relative to prevention, treatment and recovery supports expressed in many forms.

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Georgia Leans Towards Incarceration Over Prevention & Treatment

Georgia leads the nation in the number of adults under correctional authority, yet Georgia has proposed to cut funding for substance abuse prevention and treatment by 24%.

Failure to recognize that addiction treatment is more effective than incarceration will result in our state’s greatest missed opportunity and a mistake we will be paying for in years to come.

The consequences of alcohol and drug abuse are the single greatest drain on state budgets. It is estimated that almost 50% of all inmates incarcerated for a drug-related offense or who are known drug abusers will return to jail or prison at some time in the future.

The relationship between crime and substance abuse is clear.

For every dollar spent on higher education, Georgia spends .50 on corrections. Spending on Corrections accounts for a 5.9% share of the general revenue fund.

According to the Pew Report, "Better performance in community corrections can cut crime and avert the need not only for new prisons but even for some we already have. And the accrued savings, if used to reinforce probation and parole, support early-intervention strategies, or shore up the high-stakes neighborhoods where prisoners come from and return to, can generate even further reductions in crime and incarceration."

These high rates of recidivism among individuals incarcerated for drug-related offenses not only carry a high social cost, but also a high financial cost to state and county corrections budgets. Addiction treatment programs receive a negligible percentage of overall prison funding.

The Pew Center on the States reported that for the first time, more than 1 in every 100 adults in the United States was confined behind bars. Georgia incarcerates 1,021 residents per 100,000, the 4th highest rate in the country. And according to the newly-released Pew Center report entitled, 1 in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections, Georgia leads the nation in the number of adults under correctional authority.

There is ample evidence that treatment interventions are effective and that we should seek
new methods of handling offenders whose core problem is alcohol and drug abuse.

Results of a new national poll conducted by Lake Research Partners for the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap initiative confirm what we suspected: Most Americans know someone personally who is addicted to alcohol or drugs and they are worried about access people have to affordable treatment. And, most people support including treatment in national health care reform. These opinions are shared across the board—regardless of race, age, income and geographic location.

Among the key findings of the national poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners:

Three-quarters of Americans (76%) know someone personally who has been addicted to alcohol or drugs. Personal experience with addiction spans all demographic groups.
Half of Americans (49%) do not think they would be able to afford the costs of treatment if they or a family member needed it. This concern about affordability is highest among Americans with incomes under $50,000 (67% say they would not be able to afford treatment).
Three-quarters (75%) of Americans are concerned that people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs may not be able to get treatment because they lack insurance coverage or cannot afford it.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) support including alcohol and drug addition treatment as part of national health care reform to make it more accessible and affordable. This support cuts across all demographic groups.
Two-thirds of Americans (68%) also support increasing federal and state funding for alcohol and drug prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

Coverage of the poll has included USA Today and U.S. News & World Report. The executive summary can be found on the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap website.

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In news from the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap grantees, last week the Miriam Hospital, a teaching hospital located in Providence, Rhode Island, was a leading force in the creation of The Rhode Island Closing the Addiction Gap Coalition. Launched on June 16 at an event featuring Coalition member Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and other founding members, the Coalition will work to identify the causes of the treatment gap in Rhode Island, and develop strategies for coordinating efforts across the delivery system in order to improve efficiency and ensure treatment is accessible to those who need it.

Prior to the launch, the Coalition’s work was bolstered by a national resolution that was introduced and ratified at the United States Conference of Mayors held in Providence. The resolution recognizes addiction as a preventable and treatable disease, and calls for Congress to pass legislation expanding funding for alcohol and drug prevention, treatment, and recovery services for all who need it. Coverage of the impact the coalition made in its very first week can be found at The Providence Journal and WPRI.

* * *

Also this month, the initiative launched several expanded sections of its Web site, www.treatmentgap.org.

Designed as an information resource for media, policy- and decision-makers, the drug and alcohol addiction treatment community, and others, CATG's new resource sections are now populated with impact briefs on key issues, along with links to various studies relevant to the addiction treatment community, the health care debate, and related issues. The new resources can be found on CATG's web site under the "Research" and "Publications & Articles" sections.

For more information about the addiction treatment gap, the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap initiative, and the eight grantees, visit www.treatmentgap.org.

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