Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

J617LEAA funds—Congress says, you cannot handle it now, so we willgive you all you can handle. But unless it is indicated to use what iscoming, then we cannot gear up for it. And if each year you do that, wenever get to the optimum point we should get to.So I think whatever Congress does, they should indicate, if it isgoing to be substantial amounts of money, what that substantialamount of money is with sufficient commitment so we at the Statelevel can begin to gear up for it.I am not going to go into great detail on what we are doing in Michigan.It is somewhat similar to what the (iovernors have indicated. Weare going more heavily on methadone. We are using our connnunitymental health agencies and structure which is c^uite progressive, incidentally,in Michigan, to man some of the drug programs. We havefor the first time a drug rehabilitation place which is designed forsentencing. We were woefully inadequate a couple of years ago in thatthe judges had no place to send those who were convicted either fordrug abuse or were drug addicts and were convicted for somethingelse.That would conclude my remarks.Chairman Pepper. Governor, we thank you for your able statementtoday.(Lieutenant Governor Brickley's prepared statement follows:)[Exhibit No. 25Pbepaked Statement of Hon. James H. Bbickley, Lieutenant Governor,h>TATE of MichiganThank you for the privilege of appearing before this committee. My name isJames H. Brickley. I am Lieutenant Governor of the State of Michigan and amrepresenting Gov. William G. Milliken.Throughout my public life I have seen the impact of narcotic addiction on the(luality of life in Michigan. As a Detroit city councilman, chief assistant prosecutingattorney of Wayne County and as U.S. attorney, I have witnessed first handthe role heroin addiction plays in the increase in crime in our urban centers.As this committee is well aware, drug abuse is a massive and complex problemfacing our Nation. Heroin addiction is only one aspect of a larger problem thatencompas.ses youthful drug experimentation, chronic alcoholism, excessive useof amphetamines and barbiturates, and reliance on over-the-counter drugs. It isa problem whose solution will surely be as complex and difficult as the problemitself.In my testimony today, I intend to limit myself to the problem of heroin andopiate addiction and the need for the treatment and rehabilitation services fornarcotic addicts.I Avould like to comment on three aspects of this program : First, the relation-.ship of n;ircotic addition to crime in Michigan, particularly the impact of narcoticaddition on our criminal justice system : second, the Mchigan approach to treatmentand rehabilitation of narcotic addicts ; and third, my suggestions for Federalassistance in providing rehabilitation treatment for narcotic addicts.In discussing the relationship between narcotic addiction and crime, I excludeconsideration of the crime of simple possession of narcotics, and essentially"victimless" crime, and will focus on crimes committed for the sake of financialgain such as robbery, larceny, burglary, shoplifting, and the illegal sale ofnarcotics for profit.There is no evidence that addition as suCh induces crime, but the need tosupply an expensive habit does. The irony is that the more successful we are inrestricting the supply of heroin the higher the price, and the more expensivethe drug is for those already addicted.All we will accomplish if we attempt only to reduce the supply of heroin onthe streets is to force tJhe price up of the drugs. Unless such an attempt is coupledwith effective means to lessen the demand for heroin by reducing the number ofaddicts crime will surely increase.