British Prisons Help Addicts Relapse Before Re-Entering Society

A new government "retoxification" program is helping formerly drug-addicted inmates get hooked back on drugs before being released to help avoid accidental overdoses. From the article: "Thirty-three prisons across England offer highly addictive heroin substitutes like methadone to inmates, even if their sentences mean they are effectively drug-free at the time of their release. Supporters claim it gets former addicts' bodies used to drugs again by building up tolerance and slashing the risk of overdose deaths. Critics blast it as 'state-sponsored' drug dealing." I'm surprised they don't give robbers a complimentary get-away car upon release to help alleviate future auto thefts.

Comments

It was better when....

[Upaut]

It was better when any addict could get a prescription for the drug itself, at an insanely low cost. You can be "very" functional on opiates, so long as you keep it up. Now that was state sponsored drug dealing.... Low, pure heroin with a prescription if you are an addict; and to be an addict you just had to tell your doctor you were.

Violent drug dealers could not compete, and went to other organized crimes. Crime rate was much lower because the addicts could afford their fixes, and a failed drug test could be said "I have a prescription" and keep their job.

To lament better days before the US forced Britain to adopt its "methods".

Re:It was better when....

[Locke2005]

and a failed drug test could be said "I have a prescription" and keep their job.

that no longer works.

Re:It was better when....

[Anonymous Coward]

and a failed drug test could be said "I have a prescription" and keep their job.

that no longer works. [newsvine.com]

That's America, and Walmart, where you can discriminate against people based on a corporation's own perverted version of morality.

In the end, it's the neo-conservativism of Corporatism which will always and inevitably win out over logic and rationality. Nice guys always loose, and intelligent people always get the books knocked out of their hands.

Re:It was better when....

[gandhi_2]

You brought up this:

intelligent people always get the books knocked out of their hands

twice in this article.

did something happen today at school?

you can tell us.

Solution in search of a problem

[oldspewey]

I'm having difficulty understanding where the following process requires intervention or is not already fully optimized:

1) Inmate kicks his/her addiction after a lengthy prison sentence
2) Drug-free inmate is released for re-integration into society
3) Former inmate chooses to begin using again, despite the fact he/she kicked the habit months or years ago
4) Former inmate dies from an overdose
5) "Last chance" used up. Former inmate will never trouble anyone again

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Locke2005]

Every premature loss of life is a tragedy; I believe Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were both drug addicts at one point. That being said, I personally do not believe the government has the right or the responsibility to protect people from themselves.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm having difficulty understanding where the following process requires intervention

First, this is a Fox News article with very little details and a lot of sensationalism.

Compare the big and bolded Title of the article with the final sentence:

Title:

British Prisons Help Addicts Relapse Before Re-Entering Society

Final sentence :

The U.K. Department of Health said doctors only resort to retoxification in "exceptional circumstances."

I could presume that these doctors are making decisions based on large statistical data sets that have been vetted by a scientific methodology. I can only guess though, because the article doesn't make any mention of how or why this is happening except for some very terse and vague statements. Clearly this article is journalism and not science. I suspect the actual science behind these decisions is more rational and logical than the journalism behind this article. So like with all journalism, take it with a grain of bias, and maybe a few logical fallacies thrown in for good measure.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Kell Bengal]

The media has never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm having difficulty understanding where the following process requires intervention or is not already fully optimized:

1) Inmate kicks his/her addiction after a lengthy prison sentence

2) Drug-free inmate is released for re-integration into society

3) Former inmate chooses to begin using again, despite the fact he/she kicked the habit months or years ago

4) Former inmate dies from an overdose

5) "Last chance" used up. Former inmate will never trouble anyone again

The process is fully optimized and is the correct one. The key lies in step 3: "Former inmate chooses to begin using again, despite the fact he/she kicked the habit months or years ago". People make their own choices and sometimes these choices have consequences, in this case they know the risk they face and they willingly choose to use anyway. It is a tragedy but this person was already given help in kicking the habit via the prison sentence and had the opportunity to remain clean, that was one of their options. Personal responsibility is an important aspect of life and part of that responsibility is dealing with the consequences of your own actions.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Nutria]

Every premature loss of life is a tragedy

I'm getting nauseated just reading this brainless drivel.

There are a lot of people for whom death before their statistically-expected lifespan is a benefit to society.

Anyway, the word tragedy used to have an emotional impact, but now it's tossed around like candy, losing all meaning.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Anonymous Coward]

You focus only on the utility value of life, missing the inherent aspect entirely. You are the sort of individual that enable fascist regimes and bad public policy.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm having difficulty understanding where the following process requires intervention or is not already fully optimized

I can assure you, based on experience in dealing with people, that this is because you are as stupid and as Right Wing as the neoconservatives who have Moderation points. People like you and the Moderators make me sick. You are the type of people who get their tires slashed and windows broken (by people like me). And Mods, this is not Flamebait, but a simple confessional; the weak don't inherit the Earth, so we just take revenge any way we can.

And btw, I hope people like you die an early death (I expected to get Moderated Insightful for saying this, like the people who got modded Insightful for claiming that it is good that people should die whose life-styles and circumstances are different than that of "normal" people). For example, people who have the luxury of driving cars should not be given medical treatment if they get into a car accident, and car taxes should be many times greater than cigarette taxes for the pollution and illness and death that cars cost. But I'm sure the neocons would rather see something as relatively harmless as methadone use (or regulated and controlled heroine use) be condemned as immoral and a danger to society.

I haven't seen such thoughtless and callous and outright stupid posts with high degrees of Flame and Troll in them get so highly moderated up-ward in such a long time.

The British government (if you can believe what the British tabloids say) is finally, and for a change, actually doing something which isn't in support of oppressing people, and Right Wing populous news outlets and their followers are getting upset about it.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Valdrax]

There are a lot of people for whom death before their statistically-expected lifespan is a benefit to society.

Not everyone is a utilitarian who views the lives of others entirely in terms of their use to society, and it's not "brainless drivel" to place a different value on human life than the one you advocate, where relapsing into an addiction is worth a tacit death penalty.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Nutria]

Not everyone is a utilitarian who views the lives of others entirely in terms of their use to society, and it's not "brainless drivel" to place a different value on human life than the one you advocate,

Your field of view is way too narrow, assuming just because I assert that "There are a lot of people for whom death ... blah blah..." that I must be utilitarian.

Amazingly, there's grey between "We Are The World" and strict utilitarianism.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Penguinoflight]

Yellow Journalism in the US goes back to the 1800s, so intentionally misleading the public while still masquerading as the news has been around for some time.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[blackest_k]

you misunderstand addiction, just because you have beat an addiction doesn't mean you don't want to indulge it again.

I am cigarette free 9 months and although i choose not to smoke i really would enjoy one.

Opiates are really nice , very mellow and relaxing makes it easy to be close to dying without panicking. To be honest i'd choose to die full of morphine, it really is that good.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Dragoniz3r]

So not the point he was trying to make there. The issue I believe he was trying to get at goes something like this:
IF this person was in jail AND this person was addicted to heroin THEN the heroin use is probably involved in why this person is in jail, so IF the person uses heroin again THEN they'll likely end up in jail again, so IF they die because they overdose THEN it's no great loss to society cuz they were just going back to jail anyways.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Anonymous Coward]

Well it's fully optimized if you're a full blown schizophrenic which is what current US drug policy is. There are many more optimized ways for a society to deal with addiction whether they be authoritarian, humanistic or even (gasp) pragmatic.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Anonymous Coward]

oh really? what about your life? maybe some people would say its not beneficial *enough* for the society?

that sort of thinking reminds me of Nazis..

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Anonymous Coward]

There are a lot of people for whom death before their statistically-expected lifespan is a benefit to society.

Well you come to mind immediately. So could you please do the rest of us a big favour and commit suicide.

Thanks.

Re:Solution in search of a problem

[Hognoxious]

You seem to dislike fascist regimes and bad public policy. Would you not prefer that people who advocate and/or implement those things should expire before they can offend your delicate sensibilities?

Interesting where the story's from

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm, could it be there's an itsy bitsy bias with story? It orginates from the popular (breast-loving) paper "The Sun", which has made clear its agenda to get Brown out of "Broken Britain" (there's an election due).

Re:Interesting where the story's from

[Valdrax]

You mean Murdoch's American politically-motivated news empire is reporting a story from one of his British politically-motivated rags? And with a story that portrays a doctor-driven decision as the ultimate example of destructive coddling of criminals by liberals?

Say it isn't so.

Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm getting nauseated just reading this brainless drivel.

I find it interesting that the posts supporting the opinions of Fox News (who got the story from a British tabloid no less) are getting up-moderated, despite the fact that they are just simple and ignorant Flamebait like your post. On the other hand, the posts that show some amount of thoughtfulness are getting labeled "Redundant", "Offtopic", and "Troll".

It doesn't surprise me one bit. Like I said much earlier; nice guys finish last, and smart people get the books knocked out of their hands. And yep, I got down-moderated for that observation. I certainly am in in with the in-crowd.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Nutria]

And yep, I got down-moderated for that observation.

Then you should have written something beyond triteness and pablum, which is a specialty of both the far right and far left.

Deep thinking is what this world needs, not "We Are The World" or Sarah Palin.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Anonymous Coward]

... triteness and pablum, which is a specialty of both the far right and far left.

Deep thinking is what this world needs, not "We Are The World" or Sarah Palin.

I am inclined to agree with your post, although the context throws it into hypocrisy (i.e. two differing opinions and two very different moderations. The contrast of less-than-zero with +4 and +5 Moderations for shallow and trite Right Wing opinions is/(was) striking). I'm actually more disappointed in the Moderators (than you or your opinion) who seem to be basing Karma on political opinion rather than truly Insightful or Troll posts. It's the way of the World I know, but it still disappoints.

As for Right and Left extremists, well at least in the Western world we don't have to worry about the Left since they are increasingly isolated into small pockets of the world like Cuba. Unfortunately we cannot say the same for the Right Wing.

BTW, when I said "I certainly am in in with the in-crowd.", I meant I am NOT in with the in-crowd (i.e. I tend to base my opinion on logical reasoning rather than popularity). The abuse of "Offtopic", "Redundant" and "Overrated" (throughout this entire discussion) is a sham whatever the political affiliation.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Nutria]

we don't have to worry about the Left since they are increasingly isolated into small pockets of the world like Cuba.

Shiiit. Obama and his cronies are about as left-wing statist as you can get. They'd love nothing better than to make this country a really big Cuba or Nicaragua.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Anonymous Coward]

Obama and his cronies are about as left-wing statist as you can get. They'd love nothing better than to make this country a really big Cuba or Nicaragua.

That's one of the reasons why I don't take Slashdot (or neocons) seriously. They lie, cheat and steal. Anything that isn't as Right Wing as their own Right Wing agenda is called Communism, Liberalism, or Left-wing-ism. Everybody else knows that Obama is Right Wing. I'm not going to give you a politics lesson because it's so obvious anybody with any intelligence level should know this. You neocons never give up on the Bullshit. Anybody with any brain will tell you that Obama has more in common with Bush than with Castro.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Anonymous Coward]

Anybody with any brain will tell you that Obama has more in common with Bush than with Castro.

Yes... they both have a “B” in their name.

In other news, your insistence that Obama is “right wing” (among other things) is why I don’t take you seriously.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Anonymous Coward]

In other news, your insistence that Obama is "right wing" (among other things) is why I don't take you seriously.

I don't believe you. Nor do I think that the extreme right of the Republican Party believes their own lies. And don't try to play stupid, I don't believe you guys are as crazy as you'd like people to believe. Just because you guys have money, weapons and mod-points doesn't mean that you can change reality.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[jdigriz]

Yes, of course, Communists *always* go for market-based solutions like requiring people to purchase private health insurance, or creating a commodities market for carbon dioxide to create an entire new bunch of rich financiers. Maybe learn a little about the things you're against so you can argue against them intelligibly?

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Killall -9 Bash]

Right, Obama is completely different from Bush. He closed down Guantanamo Bay, ended the "War on Terror", ended the practice of shoveling billions of dollars into the gaping maw of Wall Street Leech Monster, and is fighting hard to repeal Patriot Acts I and II so that we can have our privacy and/or freedom back.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[tehdaemon]

"requiring people to purchase" and "market-based solutions" are mutually exclusive.

T

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[jdigriz]

Maybe if I used the word "free" you'd be correct. But there are plenty of non-free markets that are still markets.

Re:Fox News Populism Wins Moderation War

[Hognoxious]

In other news, your insistence that Obama is "right wing" (among other things) is why I don't take you seriously.

But by the standards of most of the developed world, he is.

He wouldn't have been elected otherwise.

Please explain...

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm surprised they don't give robbers a complimentary get-away car upon release to help alleviate future auto thefts.

Exactly what do you use a get-away car for during the theft of an automobile?

Re:Please explain...

[julesh]

Moderating for the first time for a while. Disappointed to note that there's still no "-1 Stupid" option.

Re:Please explain...

[clone53421]

Getting away, obviously. From whatever. A bank robbery, say. And if it wasn’t your get-away car, then by definition the get-away also occurs during the theft of an automobile. So now you get charged with bank robbery and car-jacking.

Re:Please explain...

[d1r3lnd]

If an ex con wanted to, say, knock off a bank, he would require a get-away car, which would require stealing one. If you give ex cons get-away cars, they no longer have to steal them prior to committing a bank robbery. Capisci?

Re:Please explain...

[Hognoxious]

You are a grade A, class 1 fucking wrist-tapper.

Hubris

[vorlich]

The unqualified level of ignorance in this post and the fact that others have ranked it insightful are a sad indictment of some of the slash dot community. Not to mention the fact that the source of the "story" is the Sun Newspaper - a source more normally the recipient of slashdot vitriol. Apparently any consistent moral standard of behaviour is to be abandoned the moment an opportunity to talk with a mouthful of ash presents itself.

• 1 Citizen is sent to prison for crimes committed under the influence of drugs.
• 2 Citizen serves sentence and loses habit.
• 3 Society, properly concerned for the life of its individuals offers specific recidivists some protection from street drugs and a return to crime to fund street drugs (Methadone is provided by our free health care system because our health care system is indeed free to all citizens)
• 4 Same citizen is completely within their rights to go straight to a GP or Addict Support Team anywhere in the UK and request acceptance on the Methadone programme. Acceptance on this programme requires the same assessment they would have had to have undergone prior to point 3 above.
• 5 Citizen either copes or doesn't cope with life outside but has some understanding that our society, composed in the majority of decent hardworking law-abiding citizens, at least makes some effort to protect the weak and the vulnerable. Even drug addicts, a group of people whom contrary to their manufactured LaLaLand stereotype of being a menace to society are really a greater menace to themselves, their familes and their friends.
• But you don't really care for people, Do you?

Just because there are barbarians at the gate, it doesn't mean that you have to become one.

poe and doyle themselves

[circletimessquare]

would agree that, as addicts, their lives were degenerate. and that whatever they wrote is in spite of their drug use that was destroying their ability to write

drug use easily leads to addiction. addiction hollows out a formerly delightful human being into a monomanical zombie: "fix, fix, fix, fix..." then they usually wind up being unable to hold a job or have a relationship. then myself, society, we have to house and feed these drug addicts

since we are taking care of them, that therefore gives us every right to tell drug addicts to stop taking the substance that renders them unable to take care of themselves. and we also have the right to try to control the substances that create drug zombies. of course such efforts are messy and incomplete, but making the effort is far superior to allowing zombifying substances free reign over society, turning useful productive lives into degenerate dependents

Re:poe and doyle themselves

[Anonymous Coward]

...but making the effort is far superior to allowing zombifying substances free reign over society, turning useful productive lives into degenerate dependents

I hope your whole rambling lecture is just a sorry attempt at satire.

Of course the whole neoconservative folklore (or hate culture; the anti-culture) of everything that is pleasurable is somehow bad for you and everything that is unpleasurable (like authoritarianism, ignorance, corporal punishment, hard work, religion, car exhaust pollution and car addiction, PETA, etc and so on...). It is the addiction to authoritarianism and ignorance that we really have to worry about.

Somehow it feels like I'm living in a Bizaro universe where irrationality is viewed as normal and good, and the people who want to make life easier for themselves by using heroine are demonized. I personally wish I had the contacts and the money to buy heroine, anything that would make this irrational and Bizarro world less painful or uncomfortable to live in would be helpful.

What about his/her children?

[newdsfornerds]

Sure the addict is dead and will never again burgle my house to pay for his fix, but what happens to his poor children? They will will grow up with no father.
And they might better off for it. Heh.
Baiting liberals is fun.