Substance abuse is a national problem. Prisons are overcrowded with these types of offenders. People will do anything to obtain these drugs, from petty theft to murder. People with substance abuse problems know no boundaries. All they think about is how they're going to get that medicine for the day. Addicts don’t care who they hurt or why they hurt them. Many addicted people hurt the people they love most, like children and parents. Incarcerated people who have been convicted of violent crimes mostly report that they were under the influence of some sort of drug or alcohol. Putting these types of people in prison is a problem. They are sent there for rehabilitation and help with their drug problem. States and the United States government spend billions of dollars on prisons; where the majority of offenders are drug addicts. However, are they really getting the help they need? Here's a little history on drug abuse. According to David Musto (1987), drug addiction has been around for about 100 years. Christian organizations had a meeting with Congress and claimed that drug addicts were dangerous and evil individuals. These groups believed that drug use among foreigners such as corrupt Chinese and Mexicans posed a threat to American-born individuals. These groups convinced Congress to criminalize drugs. A hundred years ago, possession of certain drugs was legal and even children could purchase drugs like morphine, opium, marijuana and cocaine. If these drugs were taken with them today, they could result in a life sentence in today's society. 1914 was a game changer for these drugs, it was as if overnight these drugs had become illegal. The reason for this change in 1914 was...... middle of paper ......ment. When they modify treatment, they hinder the ability to identify effective parts of that treatment. According to De Leon 2000, this treatment model recommends hiring recovering drug addicts and ex-felons (Cook, J. (2008). This has been a challenge for the TC program, due to existing policies and procedures in correctional facilities They trained inmates with good behavior knowledge to be adopted by ex-criminals and recovering drug addicts. The TC program has four phases, the phases starting from orientation where they learn the rules of the program. The second phase is where they learn to deal with daily problems; they acquire life skills and alternatives to violence. The fourth and final phase is where they prepare the inmates for their release through groups such as. education and employment Treatment programs could cause other health problems...