A county-by-county review of people going to Ohio prisons shows a sharp increase in the percentage sentenced on drug abuse charges.
Are there any prisons or jails in Ohio using this approach?
In Ohio, the focus has been drug courts and Vivitrol, which doesn’t have the same level of statistical evidence that it is as effective. The Plain Dealer’s Rachel Dissell did this excellent primer on the different treatments, how they affect the body, the political contributions and lobbying involved. Vivitrol was introduced here as free from the manufacturer and is a treatment of choice in Ohio’s drug courts.
Both the Times and Dissell do a nice job with the different treatments. Also worth noting, the Plain Dealer is offering hope to those struggling with the sickness by providing stories about those who turned their lives around.
What all this says, though, is that courts and prisons do have proven methods that improve the chances of leaving the criminal justice system and returning to a productive life.
