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The Continued Criminalization Of Drug Addiction

By Brian Tannebaum, Esq.

I see Redmond O'Neal is back in jail - having failed to stay clean during a 24 hour holiday pass from his residential drug treatment program. Redmond is of course the son of actor Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett. Those that watched the documentary on Fawcett's battle with cancer saw Redmond say goodbye to her in chains and a jail jumpsuit during a furlough.Redmond apparently can't stay clean, and now he may go to prison for 6 years.He's not a drug dealer, he's just addicted. He belongs in treatment - treatment his family can well afford. Instead, he'll be sentenced to prison, get little help, and on the taxpayer's dime. I know the critics will say "well what about someone who can't afford treatment, should they go to jail for addiction?" No. If only a real study on the cost and benefits of treatment as opposed to jail would cause our "leaders" to think differently about where to put addicts, as opposed to dealers...continue to full post

Full post as published by Criminal Defense on January 06, 2010 (boomark / email).