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| Wisconsin Community Coalition Pushes for Treatment, Not Prison |
| By Join Together Online |
| Published: 07/31/2002 |
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Religious groups in Wisconsin are backing a legislative proposal that would require treatment instead of prison for first-time drug offenders, the Milwaukee Shepherd Express reported. Former inmate Barry Hubbard said that drug offenders are not rehabilitated in prison. 'They had an AA meeting about once a month, and that's about it. It's really just a warehouse for people,' Howard said of the Wisconsin House of Correction. 'You sit around and play cards or dominoes all day or you learn how to be a crook.' According to state figures, the inmate population in Wisconsin has risen 14.5 percent since 1998, from 21,530 to 25,177. About 70 percent of the inmates have alcohol or other drug problems. 'We've built an awful lot of prisons because of our drug policy,' said Kit McNally, executive director of the Benedict Center, which runs programs for ex-offenders. Local religious groups, under the name Milwaukee Inner City Churches Allied for Hope (MICAH), are pushing for a state law that would help addicted individuals like Hubbard. The proposal would make alcohol and other drug treatment mandatory for first-time, non-violent drug possession offenses. Judges would have the option to order treatment for second-time offenders, too. In addition, the proposal would eliminate any record of the offense if the person successfully completes the treatment program. 'We think it's the more just solution than the current solution, a more effective solution. Incarceration does little or nothing to rehabilitate,' said MICAH's Conner Williams. John Goldstein, president of the Milwaukee County Labor Council, agreed. 'This is one of these things that seems so practical. It just makes total sense that you can treat someone so they do not become recidivists and instead become productive members of society. It's a no-brainer, really.' |
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