Should only violent, criminals, or repeat robbery offenders be put in prison?

Shouldn't drug addicts be treated, and fined to reduce taxes instead of put in jail if they pose no threat to society. I have met many people, who have never had problems with drugs, yet because they were caught with drugs as a teenager, or young adult (20 to 30 years old) it practically destroyed their lives. In fact they functioned better in society, when they were own a substance. Some times the humiliation of being put in jail caused them to get involved with harder drugs, along with looseing their jobs, or kicked out of school which puts a true hardship on a family for the rest of their lives.
Answer:
I do not believe drug offenders should be jailed. in other countries where drugs aren't considered illegal, or they are just tolerated. the usage of them is much less. It really gets me angry when 40,000.00 of tax payers money goes to house 1 criminal for a year. that's more than my total yearly income!!! and we are spening this much money cause someone had some drugs. wtf

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With the rapid increase of illegal substances (meth) over taking our country. I do not believe simply getting treatment will help. I see all to often people being sentenced to jail, while there getting treatment and as soon as they are released they return to their old crowd and start using/selling again. It is not just about treatment, it's about a change in their behavior and enviroment.
You can treat them all you want, but if you put them right back into the same situation... what has changed? Nothing!
I do feel using/selling/or simply carring illegal substances is a crime and needs to be dealt like one. Which yes, jail.... however while in jail I think they need to be ordered to complete a drug treatment program.
But like I stated earlier, it's about enviroment and behavior.
You know the old saying you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it.....

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They don't commit any crime but being on drugs? Yeah except the ones who turn to THEFT TO GET THE MONEY. So what we caught you with some illegal drugs BUT didn't catch you stealing so you didn't commit the theft? Sorry I don't want to take the chance that they didn't do anything else wrong. I'm all for LEGALIZING POT and taxing it and all that. Most of the people who use it don't go commit anything more violent then someone who was drinking(and until we outlaw the DRUG called Alcohol I think that is a fair argument) and yet it is illegal. Doesn't even matter that it is safer and most recognize that. Most drugs though AREN'T like that. Most lead people to turn to things like theft to get the money or the ingredients. REHAB DOESN'T WORK. You can't FORCE someone to change. Don't try to spread that myth. IF they want to change then we should provide the tools, BUT we can't make them change. Oh and some people go to jail and FACE who they are. Some CHANGE because the jail sentence.

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I am a cop and I actually agree with you. The dilemma is knowing where to draw the line. In the area that I work, I arrest a lot of heroin users. If I arrest them after finding them with drugs, I would hope that their sentencing would include an "in house drug treatment" instead of prison or the County jail. However, most users that I arrest do not work and need a substantial amount of money to pay for their habit. Where did they get the money? We may not know that they have been snatching purses from elderly women in another area or committing armed robberies to obtain their funds. These are cases of extremely violent offenders that would end up with no jail time because they were not linked to the violent crime.

Regardless of the type of incarceration (treatment program or jail) they would still be away from their families, school and jobs. Incarceration did not destroy their lives. Their willingness to just "say yes to drugs" destroyed their lives and they did not function better on drugs, they just enjoyed breaking the law without punishment.

As far as your statement "I have met many people, who have never had problems with drugs" that is completely a fallacy and you are living in a pipe dream. Anyone using illegal drugs has a problem with illegal drugs. Start taking responsibility for your actions. Don't blame the law, blame the one breaking it!