I just wanted to address the flaws of the Alaska justice system. So House Bill 49 is in full effect, undoing most of Senate Bill 91, and the voters are happy for now. Fast forward a few years, when inmates will finish their sentences. Most are nonviolent drug offenses and property crimes.
When the bill went into effect, the issue of treatment was not included. Alaskans took the short-term fix for the problem. Basically, their heads are stuck in the sand, hoping it will go away on its own.
Well it won’t. Down the line in the future, eventually almost everyone gets out of prison. With very little focus on recovery, many prisoners will come out more troubled than they were when they went in. Most likely with violent behavior, and more likely to reoffend. Then the cycle repeats itself.
And Alaskans will be wondering why. They fixed nothing; the only winners were the lawmakers getting a few extra votes next election. As a addict in lifelong recovery, I can say with knowledge the system is broken. Criminalizing addiction is not the answer. Yes, I understand the need to hold people accountable for their actions. Just wait for when people are back in a uproar about the criminal justice system again, wondering where we went wrong. It needs to be fixed again. The people and the lawmakers let emotions get in the way of making good laws.
— Nick Sacaloff
Anchorage
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