Drug Rehab or Addiction Treatment - What Is the Difference?

Recently a topic of conversation centered on whether there is a difference between a drug rehab and an addiction treatment center. As surprised as people were at the question, it made all of us realize those individuals without knowledge of the addiction treatment business or who have not been in addiction treatment themselves, might be easily confused.

There really is no difference between the two as far as the terminology. When a person mentions drug rehab, they are really referring to a drug rehabilitation program, which is the same as an addiction treatment program, alcohol treatment program or chemical dependency program. All of the above are designed to treat drug addiction and alcoholism, with the only difference resting in the actual services provided, population treated and the philosophy of the program.

Differences in Addiction Treatment Services

While they all generally have residential treatment services in common, it does not mean that each has been licensed to provide detox (detoxification services), partial hospitalization or outpatient treatment. The type of services a drug rehab or addiction treatment center provides is strictly up to the owner and operator and each service must be licensed by the state where the center is located. It suffices to say that the greater the continuum of care, the more likely the center is to be able to meet the patient?s needs.

To ensure one receives quality care when joining an addiction treatment program, a person should contact a drug rehab facility accredited by JCAHO (The Joint Commission of Accreditation for Health Organizations), a standard-bearer in health-care facilities, which assures the consumer that the accredited facility has achieved and continually maintains clinical and professional practices which are superior in its specialized field of treatment.

There are numerous sites about drug rehab facilities on the web and you should evaluate their credentials carefully. RecoveryConnection.org refers people to addiction treatment centers accredited by JCAHO.

Jonathan Huttner is one of the the principals at Lakeview Health Systems, an addiction treatment, alcohol and drug rehab facility

Punishment or Rehab For Drug Addicts?

Addiction is a compulsive craving for drugs, which is uncontrollable and leads an individual to the point of doing anything, whether it is stealing, committing murder or whatever it takes to be able to access drugs.

These drug cravings push people to do things they would not normally do. Their life becomes focused on how to get the drugs and how to keep their drug supply continually replenished. All types of crimes are committed by people simply trying to get drugs.

Residential property theft is high due to drug addiction. The addict will steal anything they can, such as TV sets, microwaves, VCRs, anything that can be turned into quick money in order to buy their drugs. They even resort to stealing from family and friends. Drugs are expensive to buy, so it takes a constant flow of cash to supply their addiction.

The argument goes on as to whether drug addiction is an illness or a crime and whether addicts should be punished or treatment given them to rehabilitate. Since 1914, after the Harrison Act was passed through Congress making it illegal to buy drugs, drug abuse has not slowed down, only risen to the point where there are more addicts today than ever before. In addition, there have been several other laws passed both on the federal, state and local level making drugs illegal, but laws have not deterred drug usage.

Mandatory prison sentences have been implemented to cover first time offenders and also any who offend for the second, third time or more. It was felt that by having tougher penalties in place for offenders this would deter the drug problem, but the stringent laws have not worked, as drug usage continues to escalate.

Federal prisons have around two million inmates with a large percentage of this number convicted of drug abuse crimes. These prisons are already overcrowded, so imprisoning drug addicts only adds to the population count. If all drug offenders were imprisoned, as there are many who are called recreational drug users and these people usually are never arrested, the cost to the country would be astronomical. The estimated cost of putting one drug offender in prison is around $450,000. That figure includes the arrest, cost of the trial and cost to house an inmate. If that $450,000 were used for rehabilitation costs, about 200 people could receive treatment.

By treating drug addiction as an illness and requiring the individual to undergo treatment, this would save society from those who are released from prison, who go back to the streets and resume their former life of abusing drugs and committing crimes. This system only creates a danger for other citizens who are subjected to being victims of their crimes.

The argument for rehabilitation over punishment does show good merit and possibly needs to be seriously considered. It is estimated that approximately 20% of drug addicts in prison could be rehabilitated positively through proper treatment.

At the same time, though, any addict who does commit a serious crime should be imprisoned to receive punishment for that crime. No one is advocating anyone should 'skate free', after committing a serious crime.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Addictions

Alcoholic Rehab Centers

Because many people often drink wine or beer with a meal, it isn't always easy to tell if you or someone you are close to has a drinking problem and my require an alcoholic rehab center.Some signs that can be helpful to think about for yourself or to seek about someone else are below:

A) Is the drinking done alone? If so, how frequently.

B) Is alcohol your stress reliever after work or after an uncomfortable phone conversation?

C) Are people telling you that you are drinking too much or more than used to drink?

D) Do you find yourself minimizing the amount you drink when others ask you about it?

These are questions to look at and face yourself honestly about and to ask someone if you are close with them and suspect a growing alcohol dependency problem is growing.

Alcoholics Anonymous has a successful track record and is very useful for many people. There is a strong support aspect and spiritual dimension and the 12 step program is used now in many other contexts as well. Depending on one's temperament, will power and degree of severity, an alcohoic rehab center may be more effective for certain people. They can also be attended after a residential treatment program is completed.

Alcoholic rehab centers are safe environments run by professionals where you will face yourself usually in both individual and group therapy. There are different philosophies for different centers so it is good to study each a bit to see how it would work with your own personality. Some are run by former addicts who can personally relate to the struggles. After treatment is over it is good to join a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous in order to keep your committment to stay sober and to be able to process the various temptations that can come up. Family support is terrific but can also be part of the problem and there is much written about the concept of enabling.

One of the most difficult thing for many people is to accept that they need help. It can take a little time for your armor to be broken down at an alcoholic rehab center and for you to be able to open up, but this is expected.

Rehab treatment centers have evolved and I've been to one in South Florida where I was able to teach a yoga class . Healthy forms of relaxation are taught along with ways to face one's problems and deal with them directly. Sometimes very deep insecurities, anxieties, jealousies and other emotions will come up in the sessions and as these get processed one can find out a great deal about oneself and be on the road to recovery. It is good to think of this as a journey and not a punishment as you will get free of old patterns and be much lighter as these habits are dropped. Keeping your eye on the level of freedom that can be achieved is a very good motivator and way to deal with the temptations of an easier form of relief.

Dee Cohen is a licensed social worker and certified yoga teacher in Florida. Visit for more rehab articles and news at: http://www.rehab-advice.com

Treating Vulvodynia and Vulvar Vestibulitis with Dilators and Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation.

Treating Vulvodynia and Vulvar Vestibulitiswith Dilators and Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation.

Vulvodynia is a painful syndrome effecting women of all ages. It is diagnosed as pain in the vulvar vestibule area, which could also be described as the entrance to the vagina.

Sufferers of Vulvodynia find it extremely painful to attempt sexual intercourse, wear tampons, and in severe cases they cannot wear tight clothing without several discomfort.

Whilst there is no know cause of vulvodynia there are a number of treatment options available.

One of the most common and successful methods of treating vulvodynia is through physiotherapy specializing in pelvic floor rehabilitation. Pelvic floor exercises coupled with the use of a dilator will decrease the pain experienced as a result of vulvodynia, and in many cases this pain becomes completely manageable and the sufferer can enjoy a normal, healthy sex life.

To start with, you need to practice pelvic floor exercises, the dilator will be introduced once these are mastered.

Step 1: Lying down with your knees slightly bent, draw your pelvic floor muscles upwards towards your pubic bone. You will experience a feeling of tightness inside your vagina. Be sure to take deep breaths and relax all muscles in your legs and stomach.

Step 2. Hold this 'tightened' upwards state for 5 seconds.

Step 4: Release your muscles. Imagine you are going from being 'upwards' to letting go and dropping back down to the ground floor. Rest for 10 seconds.

Step 5. Repeat 10 times.

It can be quite difficult to master this so be sure to practice. If you have difficulty visualising the 'upwards' and 'resting' states, it helps to practice on the toilet. When you begin urinating try and stop the flow of urine midflow then release. This is the same as what you want to be doing during your exercises.

Once you have mastered your pelvic floor exercise of tightening and releasing, then it is time to introduce a dilator. A dilator is essential a small tube,, it comes in various sizes. The greater your pain, the smaller the size of the dilator you should begin with. If you do not have a dilator you can use a clean finger.

Step 1: Apply a small amount of lubricant to the tip of your dilator.

Step 2. Following the same steps as above, lie down on your back with your knees bent. Relax your pelvic floor muscles and insert the dilator as deep as is comfortable.

Step 3. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles around the dilator. Remember to stay relaxed and take deep breathes.

Step 4. Rotate the dilator. Imagine a clock face, hold the dilator in the directions of 3 O'clock, 6 O'clock, 9 O'clock and 12 O'clock.

Step 4. Hold each for 5 seconds then release and rest for 10 seconds.

Step 5. Repeat 10 times.

When first starting it can help to use your finger instead of the dilator. This way you can actually feel your pelvic muscles tightening around your finger then releasing, so you know that you are doing the exercise correctly.

As your pain decreases, go up a size until you are ready to introduce your partner into the exercises and resume sexual contact.

Living with Vulvodynia aka Vulvar Vestibulitis | Symptoms, Treatment, Real Stories

Sally is a sufferer of Vulvodynia and Vulvar Vestibulitis. To find out more about these disorders check out her blog at Living with Vulvodynia aka Vulvar Vestibulitis | Symptoms, Treatment, Real Stories

Rehab Centres

Choosing drug addiction Rehabilitation is a positive step adopted by addicts in reclaiming their normal life. Choosing the right Rehab Center is crucial in the path to recovery.

There are many Rehabilitation Centers available in the country. But the motivation and program of each may be different. Any one center may offer different kinds of programs. If you are on the lookout for a Rehab Center you have to weigh factors like your level of need, severity of addiction, quality of care and aftercare, and also cost of care and expenses

Various types of Rehab programs exist and four of these are as follows:

Free Standing Inpatient Drug Rehabilitation Program - has effective short-term inpatient programs.

Drug Rehabilitation in hospital-based Rehabilitation Unit - suitable to those who have a severe mental or physical disability. The quality depends on the Rehab unit or the hospital.

Drug Rehabilitation in Hospital Detoxification Unit- where the most dangerous part of withdrawal from alcohol or detoxification under medical monitoring takes place. Increasingly, detox programs are being done on an outpatient basis.

Long-term Residential Drug Rehab program ?These are suited to those patients, especially youth, who have a tendency to relapse after short-term treatment.

Detox is the first stage. It is the process of getting the leftover residues of the drug out of the body. It is designed to help with the physical pain of withdrawal. There are two kinds of detox programs- medical detox and physical detox. Medical detox helps to wean the patient away from the drugs. and physical detox helps in the physical recovery from the effects of residues of the drug.

The key to Rehab is to remember that drug addiction has some insidious causes, like unhappiness, hopelessness or physical pain. Rehab must be sought before the addict destroys his life step by step. The family has the responsibly to contact Rehab Centers and cooperate with Rehab programs.

In Rehab, relapse is a major problem. 75%-90% of all drug abusers will relapse within one year of release from a treatment facility. Drug relapse is heartbreaking for the family. Some Rehab Centers offer ?peace of mind? programs. It is long-term effective care, which treats the bio-physical cravings and underlying emotional causes of addiction. A 3-5 month program followed by a 4-6 month follow up is generally recommended for severe addiction.

Peace of mind programs readmit those patients who had left the facility after successfully completing the Rehab program, but are now facing relapse. They have to pay only for room and board.

Long-term aftercare also comes with the option of ?work exchanges? for those who want long-term after-care. In this, after the patient has successfully finished his first Rehab program, he stays back in the facility for another six months as a helper for other Rehab patients in exchange for room, board, a small salary and aftercare.

There are many centers for drug Rehab. Some are genuine, but some may not look after your best interests and will be running on ulterior motives. They may make false claims and promises to dupe you. Hence, you must make wide enquiries, careful examinations and thorough checks before deciding on your Rehab Center.

Alcohol Rehab provides detailed information on rehab, alcohol rehab, cardiac rehab, drug rehab and more. Alcohol Rehab is affiliated with Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers

Drug Rehab-A Family's Help Can Make The Difference

To have a drug addict in a family, can be very depressing for the members, and they may go through a number of emotionally, physically, socially, and mentally, painful situations. The ones closest to the person may feel drawn towards drug addiction, and may experience anxiety, anger, or fear and then ultimately, exultation, as the person begins dealing with the problem or begins drug rehab.

The affected members of the family may need advice and counseling, to make them aware of the best way to handle the circumstances. The most significant role of a family in the process of rehabilitation could be to show understanding and give support to the person. The positive steps taken by the loved ones at rehab must be encouraged.

There are various support groups that provide assistance to the families while dealing with the feelings such as confusion that they could be having about themselves, or the other family members. These support groups and counseling help to understand the process and educate the families on how to be a positive influence for the drug rehab treatment.

Effects on families

The problem of having drug abuse in a family can have a huge influence on the other members. There may be divorce, financial loss, communication breakdown, child abuse, negligence or accidents, stress, depression and loss of self esteem.

The members may go through a large range of emotions and, in some cases, illness related to stress during and after the drug rehab process. For instance, they may blame themselves for the addiction problem of the loved one, or may become too anxious regarding the actions and the moods of the addict. They may even stop caring for themselves, giving first priority to the needs of the addict.

Families must know that they can look for a compassionate ear, to help them let out their emotions and get encouragement and advice during the drug rehab. For example, group meetings can offer support to the families and the patients, and make them feel that there is help to be found.

Various types of groups, providing such services are:

* Multi- family groups: these groups provide the addicts and their family members the opportunity to go to large group meetings, where they can listen to other similar experiences, or simply watch movies for encouragement and support.

* Family support groups: these are groups of people who need to talk about their experiences during and after one of their family members have been to a drug rehab. However, the patient is never allowed to attend these meetings.

* Individual therapist sessions: these are for the seriously affected families and help the family members with the private healing processes. It is mostly meant for those who have been greatly affected while the patients have suffered under the influence of harsh drugs.

So what do we conclude?

Drug addiction can devastate families and leave ever-lasting scars on them. Families must offer support to the patients at the drug rehab centers, while taking care of themselves and going for counseling so that it helps with their own emotions and confusions.

Summary:

Drug addiction is no doubt very devastating for the family. A person close to the addict may even try using drugs to escape from the situation. To deal with this harsh situation, the family members must seek counseling and try seeking advice that could be helpful. The families must be made aware that their support is essential during the process of drug rehab.
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Mortgage Note Buying versus Rehabbing Homes

As any seasoned real estate investor knows, just because you acquire property that is cheap does not mean it won't become expensive. Things happen that are not conducive to our investment timetable or budget, and often they are beyond our control.

Sometimes rehabbing a home takes longer than anticipated. Or the cost of materials and labor can rise unexpectedly, local ordinances can change, or other scenarios can come into play to make a project run longer than scheduled or over budget - or both. And many of the circumstances dictating how things unfold may be impossible to foresee. Weather can play a critical role, for instance, especially if you are doing roof repairs, concrete work, or exterior painting and need the help of sunny skies. When hurricanes and other natural disasters strike, even on the other side of the country, construction materials can suddenly become more expensive - the price of plywood can jump 20 percent overnight.

Many projects are now on hold simply because of a rise in gasoline prices, which adds to the cost of all materials delivered by truck to the local lumberyard or home improvement store. It can even add to labor costs, because if your contractors are commuting, they expect to be compensated for the cost of getting to and from the job site. If you are working on a slender margin, a few cents per gallon at the gas pump can be enough to erase your potential profits while you work to rehab and "flip" a property.

And any delay in a real estate project leaves the investors open to vulnerability from shifting economic factors. If the housing market cools off and interest rates spike before you get your house on the market and sold, for instance, you can be left holding the bag through the downturn, with expenses like mortgage payments, insurance premiums, and property tax added to your balance sheet.

To find an alternative way to invest in real estate - without the day-to-day logistical headaches - many investors turn to paper investment, either as a way to supplement their portfolio or as a full-time business in lieu of actual physical ownership of properties. By buying the debt that finances real estate, they participate without having to roll up their sleeves and deal with the nitty-gritty details of rehab work. And without financing, you aren't a buyer, you're just a browsing looker, so those who invest in the loans that fuel projects will always be in demand, as long as there is a market for buying and selling property.

Especially in times like these - when the real estate market is challenged by steadily rising interest rates - mortgage note investors can earn substantial yields, taking advantage of the higher rates. And those who have prior experience as real estate investors can use their knowledge of property to help choose sound, secure, credit-worthy investments. If the building that serves as collateral on the note is valuable, then the debt carries less risk, and those who are accustomed to rehabbing property usually have an eye for what constitutes solid and problem-free construction.

As with any debt instrument, when investing in real estate mortgages there are different rates of return, yields, timetables to maturity, and degrees of risk versus potential reward. To learn more about investing in mortgage notes, contact a broker who specializes in them. They can explain how it works and how it can serve as a practical alternative to rehab projects to help you stay invested in real estate, during both bull and bear markets.

Troy Fullwood, self made millionaire, nationally known investor, real estate guru, speaker and coach; would like to share with you creative ways to building your own "Money Tree." In 1997, Troy founded a company called Pinnacle Investments. The main focus is buying first lien performing and non-performing commercial and residential real estate notes.

Understanding Drug And Alcohol Rehabilitation

For many years, when people thought of alcohol and drug rehab, the image that almost immediately came to mind was most likely a group of people, sitting in a circle in folding chairs in a big vacant room. Its true that group programs still aid many people in their quest to stop drinking and using illegal substances but most who have fell too deep into their addictions do not find relief this way. There is good news for those who need help getting over their addictions - slowly, there has been a proliferation of alternative therapies to alcohol and drug rehab. These methods may prove useful when traditional rehabilitation methods fail.

1. Why Do People Get Addictions?

The reasons for addiction are complicated and vary with each and every individual. These same reasons may be difficult for us to understand, and even a lot more difficult to resolve. Drug and alcohol rehab in recent years has taken a hard and diverse approach to the problem of addiction. Taking in consideration are the physical, emotional, and even nutritional factors that may be causes. Whether you're seeking help for yourself or whether you are a concerned friend or family member of someone who is in a very dangerous grip of addiction, be confident that you are not the only one. Addictions come in varied forms, some are dangerous and some are not.

2. The Physiological Approach

It doesn?t mean that just because you are encountering a dangerous addiction it?s alright to think that you are different from everyone else. It only means that you'll need to seek out specially qualified help. Many physiological and chemical imbalances that occur in our bodies and brains may contribute or cause our feelings of depression, that can lead us into addiction as we try to self medicate to compensate for our emotional distress. We are living in an era where many problems like chemical depression and blood sugar imbalances are easily diagnosed and treated. Often, addicts who treat these underlying problems will experience great relief from the urge to feel better by drinking.

3. Blood Chemistry

The best and most popular idea we have of drug rehabilitation is the old 12-step group therapy that we so often see on television shows and movies. The fact is, science has a lot more to tell us about how our bodies and brains respond to all kinds of substances. A lot of evidence suggests that when a physiological or chemical imbalance is occurs in the brain no matter what the cause, that individual will try to compensate for the imbalance he is experiencing by self-medicating with drugs. Modern drug rehab programs often use this approach to look for chemical brain imbalances to help their patients recover. In addition to this, imbalances in blood chemistry can also lead to drug and alcohol addiction. Having problems such as low blood sugar can lead someone to self medicate so that he can cure any fatigue or anxiety that he may be feeling. A balanced nutritional intake and exercise have shown themselves to be aids in the process of drug rehab.

4. Social Theory

Usually people who are deeply addicted often have neglected themselves, so by finding a diet and exercise program, it can really lift their self image. Another advantage of exercise to anyone who is an addict is that it also provides a natural high that can help an addict to get through the rough periods in his rehabilitation. Some individuals may be comfortable with the idea of group counseling while some may have difficulty in comprehending it. An option for these kinds of people is one on one therapy, where a therapist can reach out to the deepest and most personal aspects of an addict?s life. Looking for answers for addiction and possible recovery is an extremely difficult task to anyone. It takes a lot of devotion and time to even see the smallest of developments. Being able to find the right place to do the work toward recovery is an important step. The wants needs of each and every addict are different from each other, and the process of finding a place to fully recover can be a very deep, difficult, personal and intense process.
For more great drug rehabilitation related articles and resources check out http://www.rehabplace.com

Rehabilitation

 

As in nearly all things, America has been of two minds concerning the rehabilitation of criminals. One camp believes the more severe and lengthy the punishment, the less opportunity a criminal will have to re offend. Lock them up and throw away the key. Statistics prove this camp wrong and alternatives are far from their concern. They are the law and order people who have a strong appeal to a society that fearfully sees itself as victims.

The other camp wants to rehabilitate criminals but can seldom raise the needed economic support to initiate and evaluate rehabilitation programs. These are folks who know that no life is beyond redemption or incapable of productive work.

Rehabilitation has failed so often because it rests on the idea of stripping every right from a person, throwing them in a cage, isolating them from the larger society and destroying any sense of personal identity or value. Treating people worse than animals is not conducive to self improvement. Rehabilitation must begin by not caging non violent offenders. House arrest, victim restitution, fines, counseling and work habilitation will prove much less expensive to society than caging and produce a better outcome.

Anti social behavior grows out of confusion and misidentification. That is, anti social people believe they are someone different than who they are at their core. They are books judged by their covers; judged by people only interested in covers. They come to believe and behave as though they are the covers others have created for them. They are the products of other people's expectations and imaginations as so many of us are. Unfortunately, the expectations of many role models were low and easy to fulfill. Let society help the victims of low expectations to distinguish between who they are and who they have been told they are. This explains their confusion to them and alleviates it. Clearing this confusion makes good candidates for rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation begins by helping an offender find their true identity. The tools trained counselors now have at their disposal for this identification process are readily available: aptitude and IQ tests; personality and character tests; astrological and numerological charts and reports; literacy tests. Poor readers are non readers and have a lifetime social handicap until they want to read well. Probations should continue until literacy is achieved. Once a person can read well and wants to do so, they can learn anything else they so choose. This opens a world of options previously denied.

Lives of total dependency in cages help no one. Not keepers, the prisoners or the society trying to protect itself. To treat a person as though they will never have an opportunity for revenge and then releasing them with hearts full of fear, resentment, anger and rage, guarantees that society will pay a price for the way they treat people who were most often fellow victims, long before they turned to crime.

In Orwellian double speak, society talks of caging people as criminals paying a debt to society. The fact is the reverse. Society is creating a debt to the offender, turning a marginal life into a hopeless and useless life. Society is restricting a person from any opportunity to contribute to the society he or she offended; allowing no opportunity to support a family for which they may be responsible; innocent victims of terrible, thoughtless social policy.

Society has so long applied this cruel punishment that its debt to the criminal element cannot be paid. Just like the debts owed Native Americans and the descendents of African slaves. We can go ahead and live our lives as though no debt existed and we do. America will pay in blood, terror and plague - death and destruction. It is a sad thing we have so chosen. Divine justice does not allow for life in cages or a few living well from the misery of many.

The rehabilitation of social offenders will not prevent the judgment of a dispassionate, unrepentant people, long past due. It could create pockets of mercy within that judgment. Perhaps you and I will know a little of that mercy. Perhaps you and I will make some effort to end a social injustice that is worldwide and centuries old. Perhaps you and I will no longer ignore the problems some are paid to hide from us. Perhaps we actually do know right from wrong. Perhaps knowing the difference, we will choose what is right. Perhaps but no one is betting on it.

Freelance writer published on websites and in newspapers.

The Prison Mirror (part of Prison Series)Ed Howes

The true measure of social consciousness is prisons. They tell more about society than any travelogue possibly could. They are the product of ignorance as a tradition and undeniable social regression. Send a law breaker to prison and convert him to a vicious vengeful beast. Then send him back where he came from. Let the taxpayer suffer from his crime. Let the taxpayer pay for his maintenance and conversion. Let the taxpayer support his family. Let his children grow up with no father. See if they dare follow in his footsteps. Let the taxpayer pay for any feeble attempt at his rehabilitation. Let the taxpayer bear the cost of every crime he commits after release, his arrest, and trial(s). Then repeat the whole process. Prisons everywhere are no less than government sponsored war on society. The least valuable social creation ever devised.

Their primary social function is to strike fear in the hearts of society at large. If you don't eat your spinach, you will end up in prison. If you don't obey every rule the professional rule makers invent, day in, day out, you will go to prison. Making punishments fit crimes is beyond the creative powers of bureaucracy. Instead, they choose the humiliation and degradation of caging and totally controlling the life of a lawbreaker. To a lesser extent, they do the same to all who care about him. They discourage telephone communication, meaningful financial support and visitation. Inside the prison walls they heap punishment upon punishment, because simply caging people is too good for them, no matter what the crime.

While we are at it, we ought to take a look at crime itself and the reasons for its increase. I'm only guessing and my guess is that ten times more behaviors are crimes and felonies than were so in the year 1900. That is, bureaucracies are in the business of creating crime. Such bureaucracies sincerely believe they are being paid to modify human behavior. They are running the ultimate social experiment, where the result is seldom questioned. One punishment fits every crime they can create.

A man is imprisoned for theft and released with murder on his mind and in his heart. That's progressive! Society can think of nothing better because society doesn't think at all. Society closes its eyes and turns its back. Society doesn't want to know about life in the cages, which is in reality, slow death. Take a man's life one day at a time. Then turn him loose and see how he does. Empty the country's zoos and see how the animals do. Prisons testify of man's inhumanity as well as war does.

President Bush threatens American justice on his enemies. See it at Guantanamo Bay or up the road from where you live. American and justice cannot be properly used in the same sentence. Americans know less about justice than any other subject, save mercy and responsibility. Blind obedience is their forte. Prisons are the expressions of the very ugliest Americans and they all support prisons without question.

I have heard vague rumblings of a new compassion in an effort to lower government "justice" costs. The Governor of Arizona is considering stiff fines for driving under the influence of alcohol, instead of confinement, which leaves whole families without support. Make a "criminal" pay (Us) instead of the taxpayer. There is a novel idea. I've heard a number of bureaucracies are looking at treating drug addicts instead of locking them away.

The Bible deals quite extensively with crime and punishment, but then, what would God know? Property crimes are punished by restitution and multiple restitution, depending on whether the loss interferes with the victim's livelihood. There is a silly idea, huh? The greatest growth industry in this great land of the free is locking people away. Can it be that America only pays lip service to the whole idea of liberty? I believe so. It is too much like justice to really get a handle on the meaning of freedom.

Drugs! Not the 183 billion dollars' worth on the government approved, monopoly supplied drug market, but the ones a once free people choose from a different list, the "bad" drugs. The great war on drugs, lost before it began, but continued to expand government power and control; is now responsible for about half of the nation's prison population, which is the largest in the world, I think I heard.

There is no doubt in a majority of American minds, that a person who uses any drug not yet approved by government, should have their lives destroyed by prison before the drugs can do much harm. They think the prohibition of drugs makes people safer, while the inflated costs make it necessary to rob them and burglarize their homes to feed extravagant addictions. What wise and merciful people! They were victims of twisted logic, long before the robbery. It is prison that has become the most powerful narcotic in America. We know if we build a hundred more, there will not be enough. How long before it becomes a crime in the land of the free, to publish what I'm saying?

The past four generations have been told to go off to foreign lands and fight and die to keep America free. The people who tell us this, then build more prisons to keep all the free people. If we took our high school students to visit prisons and gave them a term paper assignment to come up with better punishments, we could begin to learn justice and transform the existing Just Us system.

Capital punishment. The Bible says you must have two witnesses to indict on a capital crime. We can assume the qualifiers of honorable, credible witnesses, not criminals with offers of reduced sentences for testimony. The two witness provision made it harder to indict. I'm not sure that circumstantial evidence is acceptable as one witness either. The point is that under Bible law, you are more likely to free a capital criminal than to execute an innocent person. DNA testing has confirmed that we do it the other way round. Execute the innocent to be sure and punish the guilty.

President Bush has no problem with this. He was pleased to do it routinely as the Governor of the great, error free State of Texas. DNA has proven otherwise in Texas. Did President Bush ever apologize to the families of those he wrongfully executed? Does he have any clue how many innocent lives he has taken as Governor or President? Does he care? We know now he is all American. He is probably the most appropriate representative of American society we ever had. "Don't bother us with details. We have people to kill and prisons to build." No one should be surprised that we are the most despised nation on earth. We are worthy of hatred. Foreign policy is all about Just Us too.

An America that refuses to look at its prisons is like the vampire who cannot tolerate his own reflection. Until it does so, it is a society with a seared conscience, fit for destruction and little else. Destruction by the pound. Destruction by the ton. Run and hide. We have it coming!

Freelance writer published on websites and in newspapers.