Find Local Treatment Options
Call 888-646-0635 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.Who Answers?

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 The judge’s decision comes on the heels of a grassroots campaign attempting to change this outdated law and to help those who have paid their debt to society or recovered from addiction after getting help.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.

More Rehab Centers Resources

Does Childhood Anxiety Lead to Drug Addiction?

Although according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety may lead to drug addiction, it does not ALWAYS lead to addiction. There is a correlation between anxiety disorders and substance use but anxiety does not always result in substance abuse. Anxiety Medications Most medications given for anxiety even in childhood are benzodiazepines. These….

Continue reading

10 Ways Rehab Centers Help Your Drug Addiction Recovery

rehab helps

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….

Continue reading

Are Free Inpatient Rehab Centers Worth the Wait?

addiction recovery

Free inpatient rehab centers do exist and can be exactly what many individuals are looking for who otherwise would not have been able to attend rehab because of the cost. But are free inpatient rehab centers worth the wait? Are the Waits for Free Rehab Centers Long? According to SAMHSA, only four percent of the….

Continue reading

Understanding Alcohol Abuse & Dependence

Alcohol abuse and dependence are at two different stages in the addiction progress.

Signs and symptoms of a drinking problem can often go unnoticed until the real dangers and consequences begin to set in. It’s not always easy to recognize when your drinking has passed the point of fun and social to dangerous and troublesome. For some, moderate social drinking quickly leads to dependence while others may be able….

Continue reading

What to Bring With you to Inpatient Drug Rehab

You should know what is truly important to take to inpatient drug rehab.

Once you’ve decided to get help, you’ve chosen an inpatient drug rehab center for your treatment needs and you’ve decided on a date to be admitted to the program you’ll have to start packing your bags for your extended stay in treatment. What do you bring? Some things are not acceptable in inpatient drug rehab….

Continue reading

How Drug Rehab Keeps You Sober in the Long Term

Let us help you find a drug rehab program!

Drug rehab focuses on changing behavior patterns and improving problem solving skills so that the addict can come out of drug treatment with new tools to help them overcome stressful situations without the use of drugs or alcohol. In the long term, the changed behaviors and changed way of thinking can help an addict remain….

Continue reading

All About Drug Rehab

Find a drug rehab that can help you!

This is the first in a series of content that is set to fully detail and explain drug rehab, the steps of rehab, how it works, what to expect and how you will embark on a journey to recovery. Each individual recovery journey is slightly different but the means by which patients recover in drug rehab….

Continue reading

Still can't find the help you are looking for?Get Started Now
Accepted Insurances / View the full list
For inquiries call 888-646-0635 Who Answers?

Accepted Insurances Does My Insurance
Cover This?

Calls to the general helpline will be answered by a paid advertiser. By calling the helpline you agree to our terms of use.

I NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE NOWI NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE NOW888-646-0635
Who Answers?

Pin It on Pinterest

Shares