Many drug addicts that are first and second time offenders are young and inexperienced. When they are put into jail the addicts are put in with hardened criminals whose life long occupations have been criminal activities with violent outcomes. These old timers are more than happy to teach these young convicts their tricks, many times they want these youngsters to come right back to prison to keep them company. According to Robert Sharp, Program Officer of the Lindsmith center Drug Policy Foundation, Washington D.C:

Putting Americans with substance abuse problems behind bars is a dangerous practice. Research published in American Psychologist shows: about one-fourth of those initially imprisoned for non-violent crimes are sentenced a second time for committing a violent offense. Whatever else it reflects, this patt

ern highlights the possibility that prison serves to transmit violent habits and values rather than to reduce them. The U.S is making a big mistake by criminalizing substance abuse. Imagine if every alcoholic in America were denied treatment due to lack of funds. Take it one step further. Imagine if every alcoholic was thrown in jail and given a permanent record. How many lives would be destroyed? How many families torn apart, how many tax dollars would be wasted turning potentially productive members of society into hardened criminals? It is time to rethink the failed drug war. The growing numbers of Americans who favor Public Health Approaches are looking to California to lead the way. The public health approach will treat drug addiction like the disease that it is. Unlike the way that the criminal justice system has dealt with it, which has been to ignore the root cause of the problem addiction.

Under the current prison and jail system, the offenders do not learn any job skills or basic coping skills. They are just thrown right back into the same drug infested neighborhoods and expected defend themselves against the drug cravings and the beckoning of old buddies to "come on let's get high for old time sakes." With these odds there is little hope for chang

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mike Fetch, Health Approaches, American Psychologist, Prevention Act, Jack Leonard, Drug Policies, Putting Americans, Robert Harris, Auburn Journal, therapeutic treatment, substance abuse, , drug addicts, drug infested neighborhoods, public health, hardened criminals, infested neighborhoods, imagine alcoholic, productive society, drug addiction, drug infested,
Approximate Word count = 861
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)