My Second Reply Letter Today to Utah State Representative Melissa Ballard of Davis County, Utah

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "John McMillan" <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: "info@melissagarffballard.com" <info@melissagarffballard.com>, "corrections@utah.gov" <corrections@utah.gov>, "Utah Department of Corrections 2022" <kefelsted@utah.gov>, "Mayor Wilson" <mayor@slco.org>, "County Council Member Bradshaw" <arbradshaw@slco.org>, "llstringham@slco.org" <llstringham@slco.org>, "suharrison@slco.org" <suharrison@slco.org>, "Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "ana.valdemoros@slcgov.com" <ana.valdemoros@slcgov.com>, "mballard@le.utah.gov" <mballard@le.utah.gov>, "Attorney General of Utah" <uag@utah.gov>, "Salt Lake County (UT) District Attorney 2022" <districtattorney@slco.org>, "chad.atkinson" <chad.atkinson@slcgov.com>, "leo.abila" <leo.abila@slcgov.com>, "marie.stewart" <marie.stewart@slcgov.com>, "todd.mitchell" <todd.mitchell@slcgov.com>, "Drew Hadley" <drew.hadley@slcgov.com>, "CADCA" <publicpolicy@cadca.org>, "State of Utah Substance Use Advisory Council" <efklc@utah.gov>, "utahcountycoalition@gmail.com" <utahcountycoalition@gmail.com>, "Crimevictims GV" <crimevictims@utah.gov>, "Cameron Roden" <croden@utah.gov>, "prevention@schools.utah.gov" <prevention@schools.utah.gov>, "Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson 2021" <beckiepage@utah.gov>, "Him-roi" <him-roi@umail.utah.edu>, "Patient Feedback" <patientfeedback@imail.org>, "Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall 2021" <mayor@slcgov.com>, "Utah Republican Party" <info@utgop.org>, "Utah Democrats" <mail@utdem.org>, "Joel Briscoe" <jbriscoe@le.utah.gov>, "Nick Frederick" <nfrederick@le.utah.gov>, "UT_Webmanager" <ut_webmanager@hud.gov>, "Utah Restaurant Association 2022" <info@utahrestaurantassociation.org>, "newsmedia@ldschurch.org" <newsmedia@ldschurch.org>, "Utah Peace Officers Association 2022" <homeupoa@gmail.com>, "Univ of Utah Criminology Dir. Heather Melton" <heather.melton@soc.utah.edu>, "sfarver@weber.edu" <sfarver@weber.edu>, "kevanjacobson@suu.edu" <kevanjacobson@suu.edu>, "lish.harris@utahtech.edu" <lish.harris@utahtech.edu>, "Utah State University Provost 2022" <provost@usu.edu>, "amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu" <amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu>, "California Crime Prevention Officers Assn 2022" <info@ccpoa.us>, "sociology@byu.edu" <sociology@byu.edu>

Sent: Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 8:40 PM

Subject: Re: 10-26-23 foloup Re: Study can boost  UT inmate addiction-treatment pgm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234751/

October 27, 2023

Dear Utah State Representative Melissa Ballard,

It is great to sense from your two  kind reply letters to me today that you are very devoted to achieving improvements to and expansion of the addiction-treatment programs for state-prison inmates here in Utah.

I hope that the above link from the U.S. Government's National Institutes of Health that I found online today will offer you useful information about the potential of improved addiction-treatment programs for Utah state-prison inmates in reducing the criminal-recidivism rates by those convicted felons after they are released from prison.

Among the key statements from this copyrighted online 1992-dated journal article entitled "Drug Treatment in State Prisons"  and authored by Gregory P. Fallin, Harry K. Wexler,  and Douglas S. Lipton, are:

---"Indeed, there is sufficient scientific evidence to demonstrate that certain types of prison-based drug treatment (e.g., therapeutic communities) can substantially curb recidivism. The need to reduce recidivism is paramount because of the many crimes perpetrated by career criminals and the problems stemming from prison overcrowding...."

---"Our conclusion, based on the available scientific evidence and our best professional judgment of what works, is that drug treatment in correctional settings can curb recidivism provided the programs have the following central features: (1) a competent and committed staff, (2) the support of correctional authorities, (3) adequate resources, (4) a comprehensive, intensive course of therapy aimed at affecting the lifestyle of clients beyond their substance abuse problem, and (5) continuity of care after inmates are paroled...."

---"In addition to their effect on recidivism, the major benefit of prison-based drug treatment programs is that they enhance security in institutions. Drug use and drug dealing (which are rampant in many prisons) decline with the introduction of drug treatment programs and random urinalysis testing (Vigdal and Stadler, 1989). Infractions of prison rules as well as violence and threats of violence also decline, and the danger of prison riots is reduced...."

Thank you again, Rep. Ballard, for your two friendly reply letters to me today. I wish you great success in your noble  goal of helping to expand and strengthen  addiction-treatment programs for state-prison inmates throughout our  state.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

from John McMillan, a former "Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles" state agency  full-time staff member and former "Texas Department of Criminal Justice" state agency full-time staff member.

 Here in Salt Lake County, Utah,  I am   a current restaurant-industry employee and a rent-paying, alcohol-free, tobacco-free  single adult white non-Hispanic male tenant living alone in Apartment 912 on the Ninth Floor of Wasatch Manor at  535 South 200 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android