Offer treatment and recovery support instead of prison.
Rep. Max Abramson was the prime sponsor of Jessie's Law which would have allowed ten different solutions for ten different counties, enabling each county delegation to implement best practices differently and use outside the box thinking on prevention and recovery support options. A Gloucester-style ANGEL program, employment support, needle exchange programs, and even diamorphine have all proven effective at reducing drug use. Rep. Groen even runs a faith based counseling program that has a 67% success rate. After a successful pilot project of offer diamorphine as an alternative to methadone, 68% of Swiss voters voted to continue the program. It has drastically reduced crime, drug use, overdose deaths, and even saved taxpayers millions. The biggest benefit to Jessie's Law would have been that each county delegation could learn from the successes and failures of other counties.
Harm Reduction methods used in both the United State and Europe have proven far more effective at reducing drug addiction and crime, yet legislators in both parties continue to build more prisons for addicts. As a state representative, Max Abramson sponsored Jessie's Law which would have enabled Ten Different Solutions for Ten Different Counties, allowing each county delegation to try everything from Recovery Support, Needle Exchange Programs, Diamorphine Clinics, or even Employment Support, each of which has shown promise in American and other western countries.
"Putting addicts in prison is not compassion, and it doesn't work. We need to offer treatment and recovery support for those who come forward."
"Putting addicts in prison is not compassion, and it doesn't work. We need to offer treatment and recovery support for those who come forward."
Jessie's Law would enable best practices for counties and municipalities:
- Gloucester style ANGEL program: allows addicts to turn themselves in with immunity
- give county delegations control over immunity programs
- Employment support - recovering addicts need work and a new network of friends when they come out
- Recovery support - Vermont puts more resources into post treatment efforts to make treatment stick
- faith based treatment programs - Teen Challenge is privately funded and has a 67% success rate
- prevention - funds for Chucky's Fight and Just Say No programs could go through the county
- needle exchange programs (HB 1681)
- long term treatment options
- Swiss diamorphine clinics - reduced street crime, reduced overdoses, 90% of attendees quit if they stay with it
- medical marijuana - often works as a step down or substitute
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