It’s an established fact. Put an addict in prison and he will either find a way to keep getting high behind bars, or he will simply wait it out and get high again when released. Why? Because for many addictsânot all, but a substantial number nonethelessâthe drug use is not the problem. It is in truth a symptom of a far greater problem. And in the same way that putting a bandaid on cancer is never going to solve the problem, incarcerating addicts isn’t going to fix what’s broken.
So what will? We have already seen enormous success with the sobriety courts here in Michigan we mentioned in the previous segment. Which is, in a very small way, a similar concept to the “harm reduction” approach that Portugal has taken in handling its citizens with addiction problems. Rehab instead of jail. Help instead of prosecution.
But sobriety court is only a tiny part of the criminal justice system. Could such a small and seemingly insignificant segment of the court system be used to overhaul the rest of it? Surely not without a fight, and definitely not without some serious time investments. But is it possible, here or anywhere? Surprisingly, quite a few people are saying yes. And not just here in Michigan. People all over the world are crying foul, and pushing for change.
GCDP working to bring about a dual-sided approach to change
The Global Commission on Drug Policy, a coalition of former world leaders formed in 2014, has made it their single goal to change the current approach to drugs around the world. Tired of the costs, both financial and in human lives, that the War on Drugs has cost us, the GCDP is now working to bring about a dual-sided approach to change.
One aspect is focused on policy reform, which includes the decriminalization of drug use and the removal of criminal sanctions for drug users. The other side of this coin is the plan to ensure better funding for health services, which is part of the “harm reduction” approach that Portugal has instituted.
And these are not lightweights. The GCDP consists of current and former leaders from around the world. People who have spent years in the political trenches. Individuals who know how it’s done, and what the true costs are. Included in the ranks are Ruth Dreifuss, former President of Switzerland; Louise Arbour, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Shri Anand Grover, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, and Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of India.
But even here in Michigan, while none of our politicians are openly discussing decriminalization outside of marijuana use, there are signs of positive change. Indications that, while decriminalization is a long way off for us, the “harm reduction” approach is a viable part of our future.
Governor Snyder’s “smart justice” plan aims to focus on inmate reintegration after incarceration, and sending fewer prisoners to prison in the first place. In an interview published in the Detroit Free Press, he explained his plan by saying, “It is unwise to send an individual to jail or prison when an alternative sentence, such as probation with treatment of underlying problems like substance abuse, would better protect our communities at lower cost.”
It isn’t decriminalization, by a long shot. But it’s a step in the right direction. Join us next time as we wrap up this series on decriminalization by discussing what Michigan has on it’s plate for the future.