08-31-2017, 10:54 AM
So, I just had a story come across my Twitter feed that is pretty local to me, and I found heartbreaking. A man, about my age, was found on the floor after having OD'ed. This is an all too common story these days in the opiate epidemic. Where this story gets rough is that because our current criminal justice system focuses more on imprisonment than helping those with drug issues, he was sentenced to serve 9 months in prison. 9 months in prison for endangering himself.
Now, this story doesn't get into his past too much, and so I don't know if he had any criminal history. Regardless of that, he was sent to prison for this crime of drug possession. He went to prison, and less than two months later he is dead because of prison violence.
Now, a couple of things resonate for me on this. First, I don't believe he should have been in jail at all. I don't see any reason for drugs to be criminalized as they are, but even if they are there should only be probation and possible treatment if that is the only charge against you.
Second, because we are locking up all of these people for offenses like this, it results in overcrowded prisons like what we are seeing here. Overcrowded prisons are a strain on the inmates, on the staff, and on budgets.
Lastly, putting drug abusers in prison when they have not committed other crimes and introducing them to this environment can not only be dangerous, as evidenced by this story, but if they make it out alive it is probable they will come out more likely to commit crimes against others. This is something that research has shown in a number of studies.
Just some thoughts I had in wanting to share this story with you all.
http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/culpeper-man-dies-after-beating-at-piedmont-regional-jail/article_9ff1d8e4-d279-5a45-9972-029f12b36b9a.html
Now, this story doesn't get into his past too much, and so I don't know if he had any criminal history. Regardless of that, he was sent to prison for this crime of drug possession. He went to prison, and less than two months later he is dead because of prison violence.
Now, a couple of things resonate for me on this. First, I don't believe he should have been in jail at all. I don't see any reason for drugs to be criminalized as they are, but even if they are there should only be probation and possible treatment if that is the only charge against you.
Second, because we are locking up all of these people for offenses like this, it results in overcrowded prisons like what we are seeing here. Overcrowded prisons are a strain on the inmates, on the staff, and on budgets.
Lastly, putting drug abusers in prison when they have not committed other crimes and introducing them to this environment can not only be dangerous, as evidenced by this story, but if they make it out alive it is probable they will come out more likely to commit crimes against others. This is something that research has shown in a number of studies.
Just some thoughts I had in wanting to share this story with you all.
http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/culpeper-man-dies-after-beating-at-piedmont-regional-jail/article_9ff1d8e4-d279-5a45-9972-029f12b36b9a.html
