NYC’s old ‘tough on crime’ laws worked — I know because I was busted as a drug addict criminal

In 2013 , New York City was surprisingly clean, crime-free, and thriving, says John Sutter .

Sutter had been homeless for most of 2011 and 2012 , on Skid Row in Los Angeles and the Tenderloin in San Francisco , due to a nasty heroin and meth addiction.

After a year and a half , he decided to throw in the towel and move to New York .

He says he was tricked into becoming a semi-functional member of society.

After investing in the infrastructure for public detoxes and long-term treatment centers, we should mandate repeat offenders to these programs in lieu of jail.

We need to incentivize recovery, assist with career training and job placement, and set people up for a life worth living.

Most importantly, we have to stop letting people do whatever they want to do when it affects the safety and civil liberties of others.