Any kind of crime relating to addiction issues (save violence) should be treated with serious long term treatment in my opinion. Like I said, long treatments, smallest should be like 6 months residential and others 1-2 years as they are much more effective, and it is not easy to go away for that long at all Such treatments must also include even longer periods of mandatory outpatient treatment ongoing as well. They do need to have some hope and incentives to keep sober though, because hopelessness just inspires moor bad behavior. Throwing folks in jail solves nothing, but stacking this treatment as an option instead of much longer jail terms and very long probation and suspended time has just proven a lot more successful in helping to solve problems.
Harsh penalties, and negative reinforcement on it's own doesn't work, and often only encourages more bad behavior. It doesn't work with children or adults in almost any case, and studies prove that. Reform requires hope for a better life and an incentive based system. Some folks prove they will just re-offend over and over, so then yeah, lock 'em up and lose the key.
