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Majority in jail because of meth
By Carl Mickelson Staff Writer
Thursday, November 30, 2006 | No comments posted.
If you're doing time in the Coos County jail, the odds are overwhelming it's likely due to a methamphetamine-related offense.
On Wednesday afternoon, there were about 150 people serving time in the Coos County jail, said Coos jail administrator Brad Cook.
Of those 150 prisoners, nearly 60 percent, or about 85 people, were behind bars for either getting caught possessing, manufacturing or distributing methamphetamine or believed to have committed a crime to buy the highly addictive drug.
“If it wasn't for meth, we wouldn't have jobs,” Cook said dryly.
Some prisoners have been in so often, jailers know them by name. They know the power of crank, once again, has landed them in jail, despite the charges they officially are booked under. Thefts, burglaries, assaults - all committed in the name of meth.
While pinpointing an exact number of daily prisoners tainted by meth is impossible, Cook and senior jailers believe on any given day, up to 70 percent of those incarcerated are in jail because of meth.
“We see people who rip off their own grandmothers to get meth,” Cook said. “They steal cars, commit burglaries, even rob banks. It depends on the desperation of the person,” Cook said.
It's also difficult to harness a precise dollar amount on how much money is spent annually dealing with prisoners with meth-related issues. If meth didn't exist, he estimated the county could save “hundreds of thousands of dollars” each year, mainly in the form of deputy salaries.
For the most part, county jail staff do little in the form of treatment for meth addicts in jail. Those brought in on possession charges, and thought to have major problems, often are released shortly after booking.
“They're already hooked by the time they get in here,” Cook said.
By the time they find themselves in jail, their problems have ballooned into major problems and they are “way hooked,” he said. So, to try and wean them off the drug in a few hours is a lesson in futility.
But there are other problems that jailers must address.
“We spend a lot of money getting teeth pulled,” Cook said. “Per jail guidelines we pretty much pull teeth to try and make them as comfortable as possible.”
Many meth addicts suffer from what is commonly known as “meth mouth,” a rotting of the teeth due to a decrease in the production of protective saliva and grinding of the teeth.
“It's just horrific,” Cook said.
On Wednesday afternoon, there were about 150 people serving time in the Coos County jail, said Coos jail administrator Brad Cook.
Of those 150 prisoners, nearly 60 percent, or about 85 people, were behind bars for either getting caught possessing, manufacturing or distributing methamphetamine or believed to have committed a crime to buy the highly addictive drug.
“If it wasn't for meth, we wouldn't have jobs,” Cook said dryly.
Some prisoners have been in so often, jailers know them by name. They know the power of crank, once again, has landed them in jail, despite the charges they officially are booked under. Thefts, burglaries, assaults - all committed in the name of meth.
While pinpointing an exact number of daily prisoners tainted by meth is impossible, Cook and senior jailers believe on any given day, up to 70 percent of those incarcerated are in jail because of meth.
“We see people who rip off their own grandmothers to get meth,” Cook said. “They steal cars, commit burglaries, even rob banks. It depends on the desperation of the person,” Cook said.
It's also difficult to harness a precise dollar amount on how much money is spent annually dealing with prisoners with meth-related issues. If meth didn't exist, he estimated the county could save “hundreds of thousands of dollars” each year, mainly in the form of deputy salaries.
For the most part, county jail staff do little in the form of treatment for meth addicts in jail. Those brought in on possession charges, and thought to have major problems, often are released shortly after booking.
“They're already hooked by the time they get in here,” Cook said.
By the time they find themselves in jail, their problems have ballooned into major problems and they are “way hooked,” he said. So, to try and wean them off the drug in a few hours is a lesson in futility.
But there are other problems that jailers must address.
“We spend a lot of money getting teeth pulled,” Cook said. “Per jail guidelines we pretty much pull teeth to try and make them as comfortable as possible.”
Many meth addicts suffer from what is commonly known as “meth mouth,” a rotting of the teeth due to a decrease in the production of protective saliva and grinding of the teeth.
“It's just horrific,” Cook said.
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