Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs Help the Criminal Justice System:

According to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), the United States criminal justice system is slowly but surely beginning to re-think the way that it looks at those who are arrested for crimes related to or involving a possible substance abuse problem. According to the statistics provided by SAMSHA fro a 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 19.9 million Americans aged 12 or older were current or past illicit drug users.

For every person who abuses drugs or alcohol, there is that much more chance that they will become addicted to it, and an even greater chance that they will be arrested and charged with a crime related to their drug or alcohol addiction. According to another study released by SAMSHA in April of 2009, it reported that those clients who were referred to drug and alcohol rehab programs by an employer or by the criminal justice system were among the most likely to complete outpatient treatment for their drug and/or alcohol addiction.

At Mark Houston Recovery, we believe that residents can overcome their addiction to drugs and alcohol and go on to live meaningful, successful and sober lives. We help each of our residents transition into a life of sober living by helping them learn life skills such as the value of having a daily schedule. By being more disciplined, focused and organized, our residents can learn how to be more responsible, accountable adults.

Drug and Alcohol Addicts in the Criminal Justice System

When it comes to drug and alcohol abuse and the criminal justice system, both attorneys and judges need to be cognizant of the fact that many crimes are committed in pursuit of drugs or alcohol, not necessarily because the person was motivated to purposely harm someone else. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), drug related offenses and drug-using lifestyles are major contributors to the U.S. crime problem that we face. For example, illicit (or illegal) drug users are more likely than nonusers to be arrested and booked for crimes such as larceny or theft as well as other offenses such as driving under the influence, liquor law violations and assault. By 1998, State and Federal prisons housed two-thirds of the Nation's incarcerated population while jails housed the other third, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.

Today, many knowledgeable criminal attorneys are pushing hard to have their clients looked at as humans who have a problem with drug or alcohol addiction. Putting these people in jail will not solve the problem at hand because when they are released back onto the street, they will more than likely commit the same crimes in pursuit of their next fix. This is where Mark Houston Recovery comes in. At the Mark Houston Recovery Center, we want each of our residents to know that despite the fact that their lives may have been affected by drugs and alcohol, it doesn't have to be defined by it. Staying sober is easier said than done, which is why we teach our residents the life skills that they will need once they exit the doors of our structured drug and alcohol recovery program and into the real world. At Mark Houston Recovery, we are in the business of strongly encouraging each of our residents to take back control of their lives so that they can live deeply fulfilling lives without drugs or alcohol.

About Houston, Texas

Houston is also the largest city within the state of Texas and is the fourth largest city within the United States. With a staggering population of more than 2.2 million people, many people opt to make Houston their home- and with good reason. Houston's economy revolves around manufacturing, aeronautics, transportation, health care sectors and of course the manufacture and building of oilfield equipment. The city also has a growing multicultural population, making Houston one of the more diverse places to live, attracting more than 7 million visitors each year to the Houston Museum District. But employment opportunities isn't the only reason that so many flock to the Houston area; a lot of it has to do with the cultural atmosphere as well. For instance, the Theater District is located in downtown Houston and is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls, making it the second-largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States.