Angela Mackenzie

Candidate's Website, 2016

"Just say that a drug abuser is caught with drugs on their persons in order to feed an opiate addiction in Goffstown. They are sent to a corrections facility for 7 years then released (with no parole) because they have served their full term. That individual is going to have a much higher re-offend rate because nothing has changed in their thinking. This causes a significant increase in money for taxpayers to house them longer and handle the over population of correctional facilities. Now let's say that the inmate was required to attend a rigorous drug abuse program, received their GED, and has a productive job waiting for them when released. They would be a far more productive member of society and the threat of re-offending has significantly decreased because they have a structured support in place. This form of the rehabilitation will benefit the community like a ripple effect, including a reduced cost to society. Of course, there will be times when incapacitation of an offender is necessary, but it should not be a primary choice for low-level crimes. We need to reform the system, especially when it comes to drug crimes. We need a drug court that will focus on changing the pattern of thought within the offender while keeping society safe. We need a system that saves money for taxpayers while improving lives."