Oklahoma 4/24/2008 1:20:22 AM
News / Health & Wellness

Thousands of Crack Users Returning to Society Increase Need for Effective Rehab

Under new sentencing guidelines, as many as 19,000 prisoners in the federal system for crack cocaine offenses may have their prison sentences reviewed and shortened. This action comes as a result of a 2007 Supreme Court decision that eliminated stiffer sentences for those caught selling crack cocaine than for those who sold powdered cocaine.

When the new sentencing guidelines took effect on the first of November, 2007, as many as 19,000 inmates were eligible for a review of their sentences. Any inmates who had already served the term of a shortened sentence would be eligible for immediate release. According to the Christian Science Monitor, as of the seventh of April, 2008, more than 3,400 inmates around the country had received a reduction of sentence. Of this number, 1,500 are scheduled for immediate release and dozens have already been released.

“The release of many hundreds of individuals who may have been caught in a trap of crack cocaine addiction underscores the need for drug rehab that achieves addiction recovery for a lifetime,” stated Ryan Thorpe, the Director of Admissions for Narconon Arrowhead, one of  the nation’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Addiction treatment must include a way for the addict to overcome the guilt, cravings and depression that are intimately associated with addiction. Without a drug-free method of eliminating guilt, cravings and depression, permanent sobriety can be difficult to achieve.”

With recidivism running as high as 50 percent in some states (drug offenders who are re-arrested within three years), the idea of having effective rehabilitation that gets and keeps a person off drugs or alcohol abuse in the future becomes much more important.

“The Narconon Arrowhead rehabilitation program is successful in enabling 70 percent of our graduates to remain clean and sober two years after they graduate,” Mr. Thorpe added. “When our graduates return home able to stay clean and live law-abiding lives, the entire society wins, not just our graduates.”

For more information on the rehabilitation and educational services of Narconon Arrowhead, call 1-800-468-6933 today or visit the website www.stopaddiction.com. The Narconon program was founded in 1966 by William Benitez in Arizona State Prison, and is based on the humanitarian works of L. Ron Hubbard. In more than 120 centers around the world, Narconon programs restore drug and alcohol abusers and addicts to a clean and sober lifestyle.