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Introduction

THE REHABILITATION OF DRUG ADDICTS WITHIN PRISON:Crimes are very much a part of every society and so every state in the world has a criminal justice system that is meant to punish the violators of the law. With the passage of time, due to various reasons, the rate of incarceration is gradually increasing and as a matter of fact, the United States currently has 2,220,300 in its State and Federal prisons. These prisoners are when done serving in the prison for the period of time that they are sentenced for, are then released so that they can take a fresh start. The system expects these individuals to learn from their experience and to part their ways from the world of crime. However, most of them end up falling into the same trap again and hence; they re-offend which results in yet another punishment. (Federal Bureau of Prisons)

It is reported that only 36% of the released prisoners lead a decent life, however, the rest 64% of these individuals are those who are re-arrested for crimes such as shoplifting and theft not because they are criminals by nature but because they are drug addicts and it is their addiction that is the root cause behind the problem. The system normally expects the prisoners who are also drug addicts to get their addiction treated once they are released but considering the trends of re-arrests, it is evident that it is clearly not happening. Hence, that brings us round the idea of prison reforms. These reforms are not only needed for the welfare and rehabilitation of the drug addicts but also to prevent criminal activities in the society.

However, it is also a fact that there are certain prisons that offer such rehabilitation facilities but certain loopholes in their functionality are responsible for the high ratio of the prisoners who get locked up once again. So, basically firstly there is a dire need of the reforms not only to help the drug addicts but also to reduce the crime rate and secondly, effective reforms are needed in order to fill up the gaps that are responsible for the failure of the already existing reforms. (Prison Reform Trust, 2012)

Penal Issue

The scale of Drug misuse in prison

Before coming up with the solution, it is always better to estimate the intensity of the problem and in order to analyze that how severe the problem is, in this case, it should be known that even though some of these addicts want to quit their addiction just because of the unlimited supply in the prisons. The statement is backed by evidence that is in the form of statistics and they reflect how the drug misuse in the prisons is a very common issue that deserves attention not only on the part of the governmental authorities but also from the individuals of the society.

It should be taken into account that a report from 2006 indicates in England and Whales about 40% of the prisoners are using CARATs (Counseling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and through care service) which is obviously a positive change as these drug addicts who are behind the bars are making an effort to get rid of an unhealthy habit but the point is that it also shows how serious the problem is and that the ratio of the victims is quite high. (Prison Reform Trust, 2012)………………..