Florida Governor Ordered to Dismantle Unfair Voting Rights Restoration System
Gov. Rick Scott and his cabinet have been using an arbitrary system to decide when—and if—to restore Florida residents’ voting rights after they have been convicted and served time for a felony. This system has kept more than 10 percent of adult Floridians from being able to vote, and this largely includes those who were arrested on a felony charge of possession who are often individuals suffering from drug addictions. Once a person in this situation serves time, gets treatment, and gets clean, they can still be permanently barred from ever being able to vote again in the state.
On March 27, 2018, a judge ordered Gov. Scott to dismantle this system and replace it with something better by April 26. The judge’s decision comes on the heels of a grassroots campaign attempting to change this outdated law and to help those who have paid their debt to society or recovered from addiction after getting help.
Treatment Vs. Prison
More and more states, cities, and other areas in the U.S. are looking toward a focus on treatment rather than prison for those who are caught with illicit substances. In many cases, these individuals are addicts who will not receive the care they need if they are simply sent to prison.
Many people think that going through withdrawal cold turkey in a prison will scare a person into never using drugs again. The belief is that these individuals will remember the pain and suffering they went through by experiencing full-on withdrawal and that they will stay away from drugs in the future.
o This is actually untrue and ignores the main factor associated with addiction: the fact that it is, first and foremost, a disease.
o Even those who may not want to return to drug abuse after prison may still do so because they are not in control of their use.
o Those who withdraw will no longer be dependent on the drug, but they will still be addicted. It works similarly to the process of putting someone through detox but not following up with rehab treatment.
Prison not only fails to help the prisoner who is addicted to drugs, but it also costs the country more money than professional addiction treatment.
o According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a full year of methadone maintenance treatment would cost the country a little over $4,700 per patient. But a full year of imprisonment costs a whopping $24,000 per inmate.
In many ways, Florida as well as the entire country has a skewed view of addiction and what is necessary to help a person stop using. If we can work together to ensure that people receive treatment rather than prison time, more and more people will likely be able to achieve recovery and avoid recidivism, which would help our communities thrive overall.
Do You Need Help for Drug Addiction?
We are available 24 hours a day to help you find safe, effective detox and rehab centers near you. Just call 888-646-0635Who Answers? now to speak with a treatment advisor.
According to the NIH, “Substance abuse and addiction are serious, but treatable, medical problems.” Without proper treatment, however, it can be very difficult to overcome addiction. Rehab centers provide successful and beneficial treatment methods to patients, many of whom have struggled for years with addictions beforehand. Detoxification, which is usually the first step at a….
Though many states have considered or already have legalized marijuana, republicans, democrats, the President and drug treatment professionals still have mixed feelings as to the true dangers of marijuana use. The battle against drugs, the messages that have been spread for many years to “Say no to drugs” and the legal issues that have derived….
You may not be aware of all of the opportunities you have, let alone, where to find local drug rehabs. As the challenges of drug addiction and its consequences in society continue to become more clear and demanding, access to treatment becomes more available, affordable, and effective. Whoever you are and whatever your situation, regardless….
Providing high functioning alcoholics with the tools necessary to recover from addiction despite stressful occupations – that’s the goal of the 12-step recovery program at The New Direction of Walton, NY. The New Direction is proud to offer 12-step recovery in a private setting where those working in stressful occupations can be exposed to caring and knowledgeable….
Alcoholism is a dangerous condition that requires immediate treatment. For those who can’t stop drinking alcohol on their own there are options available that can provide help. Alcoholism treatment is providing in a number of ways, most often beginning with alcoholism detoxification and then on to alcoholism rehab centers. For severe cases of alcoholism where….
For those seeking treatment for addiction, they may find many obstacles that make it difficult to return to a sense of normalcy. In the work place, addiction can result in termination of employment. It can also be incredibly difficult to find employment while in recovery when employers learn of a potential candidate’s history of addiction…..
The decision to seek treatment at a drug rehab center can be life saving, finding the right drug rehab center to provide that treatment is dire. Drug rehab centers provide a safe place for those suffering from addiction to recover and begin to learn new life skills to maintain long term sobriety. There is no….
Cocaine addiction has many related consequences and problems that arise when the drug is being used regularly, but what are the long term concerns associated with cocaine addiction? How do you live past a cocaine addiction? Do the health problems stop when you stop using? Do long term effects of cocaine addiction get even worse….
Alcoholism is not some disease that just appears over night. You don’t just wake up one day and all of a sudden you’re an alcoholic. Alcoholism begins with alcohol abuse and over time as drinking progresses from being a fun thing to do socially and on occasion to being a damaging situation that is out….
The new year often brings many New Year’s resolutions to the table…the resolution to get well, to stop using drugs or alcohol, to seek help, to overcome addiction. Now is the perfect time to resolve to get help for yourself or for someone you love who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. In fact, now….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.