The amount of people that get arrested for drugs and alcohol yearly is astronomical and continues to grow. Approximately 11 million people are arrested each year from committing a crime under the influence which causes the United States billions of dollars each year from lack of workplace productivity, extraneous healthcare expenses, and criminal justice expenses from accidental injuries. The costs continue to grow with the drug epidemic and the strategy to solve the problem with arrests and incarceration has been unsuccessful thus far.
Each year federal agencies and healthcare professionals continue to provide research data to provide annual reports. Awareness and prevention are the motivation behind the assessing the numbers in hopes to assist in trying to help fight substance abuse in the country. The statistics are alarming to say the least. Drugs and alcohol can play a bigtime role in many of the criminal activities that take place.
- 60 percent of arrestees test positive for drugs or alcohol.
- 80 percent of inmates abuse drugs and alcohol.
- 50 percent of prisoners are clinically addicted.
Because alcohol is legal in our society it is a factor in nearly 40 percent of all crimes including violent crimes such as murder, rapes, and domestic violence.
- ⅔ of victims were attacked by someone they were close to.
- 31 percent of victims were attacked by a stranger.
17 percent of state inmates and 18 percent of federal inmates are reported to be incarcerated currently because they were trying to gain money to buy drugs or alcohol. Although most of these arrests are not violent crimes, they still are illegal.
- 56 percent are Robbery charges.
- 56 percent are Weapons offenses.
- 55 percent are Burglary violations.
- 55 percent are Grand Theft Auto crimes.
With the legalization of marijuana, these numbers could decline because in 2016 marijuana made up around 39 percent of the total national marijuana possession charges. Marijuana arrests were almost 14 percent higher than arrests from violent crimes, but those numbers will drastically change as more states continue to legalize cannabis.
One of the ways to combat addiction and incarceration is to give inmates a chance at getting treatment. To let an addicted inmate out of prison or jail without giving them the tools they need to succeed will only increase their chances of getting arrested again instead preventing future crime.
- 95 percent of inmates use drugs and alcohol after their release.
- 60- 80 percent of substance abusers commit another crime after their release.
In the long run, giving inmates treatment will save money and reduce substance abuse which will ultimately give criminal activity the decline that it needs.
Renewal Recovery Solutions is a treatment center that can help someone who is struggling with drugs and alcohol to remain sober. We offer a full spectrum of innovative clinical services that our clients will receive as a part of a traditional therapeutic curriculum.
Call us today to get started!
888-226-7413
