We are all aware of the mighty struggles we face as a community when it comes to the horrible scourge of drug addiction. For decades we as a community have incarcerated and or exported our addicted citizens, most of the time being non-violent youth and young adults who have fallen victim to the dangerous and ugly disease of drug addiction. Time and time again we have watched as those individuals w
e force into treatment outside of our valley return with a new outlook on life, a renewed commitment to a better and brighter existence, only to face the harsh reality that their community has zero transitional programs that would increase their chances of success exponentially. Try as they might more often than not the addict relapses and is again reprimanded and further incarcerated or made to leave their hometown again, sent to the scary streets of Tucson or Phoenix in order to seek some type of help. Undoubtedly this is the vicious cycle that is the reality to hundreds if not thousands of our citizens in the Gila Valley. We have been quick to arrest and export our drug addicts and are surprised when they commit the same offenses over and over again, all the while offering no help or options. This must and will stop. Our aim is to open Addiction Recovery Homes/Sober Living Homes. The purpose of such facilities is to allow recovering drug addicts to begin the process of reintegration with society while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a release directly into society.
