I can see where it is cheaper and safer for society to lock up a persisitant, violent drug user.
Here are my numbers and assumptions:
Imagine a drug user with a ”$300/day habit” (I’ve heard as high as $500) Let’s use the number $200. OK. Now, where is he going to get $200? He’s probably not holding down a good job like a congressman so he has to get it some way. He can’t hook so the likely choice is robbery or burglary. Let’s say he breaks into only one home today to get the money. Cost of door or window repair: $400. Stolen goods: cost $2000 replacement value when new but only $200 when sold hot. The cost of police to “investigate”: 4 man hours, $300. Not counting pain and suffering and reduced property values the guy’s single day outside cost society 400+2000+300 = $2600. (Feel free to adjust the numbers if you don’t like my assumptions.)
Keeping the guy in prison at $50,000 per year cost: $150 per day.
Multiply that by the number of violent crackheads x 365 x number of years and you get a big number. Maybe bigger than the “War on drugs”. I have no way to tell.
I agree there are lots of nonviolent drug users that do not rob other people nor steal to support their habit. It is a waste to lock them up and treat them the same way. It might even be considered profiling.
So, following my rule that you can’t complain unless you offer solutions, here are mine:
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Proposal #1 We already have laws like DWI whereby if you have a accident the penatly is much greater if you were found to be under the influence. There are gun laws that ratchet up minor crimes to felonies if firearms are involved. How about adding drug use to property crimes? If you are on drugs the crime no matter how small is automatically elevated to a felony.
Taking someone’s wallet while on drugs would be considered a serious as if you were carrying a firearm.
Proposal #2. All recipients receiving public assistance for longer than 8 months must submit to drug testing between the 8th month and one year to have such benefits extended beyond the one year. After one year, drug testing will be mandatory 4 tests per year. If drugs are found, the person is ineligible for 4 years.
(Again, feel free to play with the numbers.)
By the way how does a drug user support a $300/habit?