News of the Day 8-22-06

Big study out of IL today on the state being second only to CA for people in prison for drug crimes. The Chicago Tribune says that more prisoners are in for possession than selling, a turnaround from the '80s and '90s, and that for every white inmate with a drug offense, IL prisons have 5 black inmates, a figure understated since the data are only for controlling offenses. Blame was placed on the special circumstance that is known as Chicago. An addict had a different explanation, after recommending more required treatment programs: "Honestly, I think the whole system is a joke. I don't think it's helpful at all in deterring people from doing it. You take a sick individual and lock them up with other sick individuals and tell them to change. Are you kidding me?" . . . And NPR has discovered specialty courts, with a feature on mental health courts. Quick and dirty overview but nice to see someone besides us cares.