I FOCUS ON PRISON ALTERNATIVES: TREATMENT, NOT PUNISHMENT
In my experience, chemical dependency is one of the leading causes of crime in the St. Tammany Parish and surrounding Parishes. In many cases, if my client had not been addicted to drugs, dependent on alcohol, or reliant on some other substance, the crime likely would not have been committed. When this is the case, I often feel that punishment through jail time, community service, or fines will not keep them from committing crimes again in the future. I believe that successful drug treatment or rehab is the answer to successfully preventing most people from committing future crimes.