Most of these inmates go untreated and often their situations worsen. These prisoners are eventually released into society, and most become reinvolved with substance abuse and the serious crimes that spring from this abuse. They return to prison to take up one of the costly cells that Americans have been building at a brisk pace in the last decade. In 1996 alone, for example, prison construction funding increased by 28 percent, Foster noted. Today, offenders are incarcerated in the United States at a rate 10 times greater than in Europe and 20 times greater than in Japan.
Addiction is a disease with particularly nasty consequences.
A diabetic's indulgence in the wrong foods or lack of exercise can result in a deterioration of his or her condition, but is unlikely to result in activities that lead to prison. On the other hand, drug or alcohol abuse could very well result in activities that harm others. The flaw with this reasoning is that prisons routinely release substance-abusing offenders, including those who have committed violent crimes, and that untreated inmates are likely to return to a life of crime. In response, Foster argued that if we can adequately treat and return prisoners to the community, we will free up money to pay for these other needed items. If we do not deal appropriately with the link between substance abuse and criminal activity, we will need to dedicate ever larger portions of state and local budgets to building and operating prisons.