Reply #4: Jail - as it is currently implemented in this country - won't help.

[Jim__]

You're right that we don't put diabetics and cancer sufferers in jail. Drug addiction is treated differently; but being a drug addict almost compels you to break the law - illegal possession, public intoxication. Public intoxication should be viewed as a threat to society. My preference is that simple drug crimes, e.g. possession, public intoxication, be treated as symptomatic of disease and, possibly, requiring removal from society until the disease can be treated (I'm not talking about possession of pot).

Putting her, or anyone, into an American jail will most likely aggravate any problems she has. And then, after she is released from jail, in worse condition than when she went in, and re-offends, we'll demand that she be put in jail again for a longer time so that her problems will again get worse. Then, we'll all shake our heads about the rate of recidivism.