Alabama says it’s tough on drug crime. It just perpetuates it.

On average, a person seeking residential drug rehab in Alabama can expect to pay $58,607, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. That’s in a state where the median family income – per family, not per person – is $59,609.

It is simply impossible for many people in Alabama to afford that. Alabama is among the poorest states in America with a poverty rate above 16%. And in Alabama, just four facilities offer free drug rehab treatment for all clients.

I would rather die than be locked up in Alabama.