Alternatives to Incarceration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Alternatives to Incarceration - Essay Example ama’s administration demanded about $10.7 billion in the support of programs for substance abuse and the increase of control and prevention programs. This came in the way of an increase of 1 percent for treatment and increase of 15 percent for prevention. This increase however, resulted in arguments and debates based on different assumptions regarding substance abuse programs (www.hsdl.org). One of the major complaints of many who are researching substance abuse is the fact that governments spend a much greater amount of money on enforcement, but not nearly enough on prevention and treatment options that should theoretically be much more effective at stopping drug problems. "Half the world to arrest" is a myth that is associated within this type of control policy on drugs, thereby filling the prisons with petty offenders who violate the laws established regarding drugs. The Presidents request in its budget against drugs for 2011 is to invest a large portion on the treatment and prevention of substance abuse, including new funds to support the Presidents commitment to increase the spending on treatment. This new budget divides 55 percent of the allocated funds between law enforcement, programs for international intelligence activities relating to drugs, and prohibition activities. This program, however, could fail to provide necessary funds for law enforcement officers w ho need to protect communities from drug users. While this legislation may be excellent at preventing the government from causing undue harm to its citizens by imprisoning them, it ignores the idea that enforcement is a necessary part of combating drug problems, to keep communities safe. These advocates ultimately believe that, the costs for substance abuse treatment and programs overwhelmingly affect spouses, parents, society and the taxpayer (Miller, 2004). Since private and public insurers do not cover drug treatment programs, governments must fill gaps in coverage. Changes make it so that