Wednesday, June 30, 2010

What's the alternative?

I was just listening to the news that Ken Clark wants to reduce the numbers in prisons by using alternatives.

Gerry was telling us last night about his time in rehab. 'I got through the first two stages - well the first step was just being there - but then they put us in a group and wanted us to talk. I walked out then.'

He'd been sent to rehab by a judge and he knew he'd have to go to prison if he left but he preferred that to talking things through with a load of addicts.

Rehabilitation will only work if the person being rehabilitated wants to be; it's not something that can be imposed.

It will be great if numbers in prison can be reduced - if only to relieve over-crowding - but the alternatives will need to be effective.

2 comments:

Furtheron said...

Oh how I remember that feeling - the first time in "group" with a bunch of others and being asked how I felt. I couldn't even answer the question - I didn't feel I drank - simple.

Jay said...

How true. It's like any addiction, bad habit, losing weight, anything like that. It has to come from within and can't be forced. Well, OK, you might be able to force it in the short term (the VERY short term) but as soon as you take your eye off the ball (so to speak) the person will slide back into their former ways unless they were doing it by choice.

I, too, hope that they have a real alternative up their sleeves.