Crime and Addiction: The Smartest Way to Fight Both

As I go about my days busily trying to put the pieces of my interrupted life together in a way that makes sense, I am constantly reminded of just how many uphill battles I am facing. One of the greatest challenges in this endeavor is working within a system that prevents its own objectives from being attained, and which strips the individuals within its confines of the very autonomy they need in order to lead productive and happy lives. Our justice system is beyond dysfunctional...this is evident in our incarceration rates, our addiction rates, our recidivism rates, the daily number of overdose deaths occurring nationwide, and the tremendous number of untreated or under-treated people suffering from mental illness in our society. The proof is everywhere...if there is to be any hope of healing our communities and giving future generations a sense of hope, change is necessary. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, NOW! The human casualties of this systemic dysfunction are far too real to ignore. People are dying. Nonviolent people are being subjected to excessive punishment. Children are growing up without parents. Entire communities are crumbling. Fear, distrust, hopelessness, anger, violence, and trauma are consuming the lives of all those effected, directly and indirectly. Power is being abused. Desperate cries for help and change and HOPE are being ignored.  And it's not getting better.

As a recovering addict I am told on repeat that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In that case, our system is absolutely, one hundred percent INSANE. The current justice system has been using strictly punitive methods to address crime and addiction since its inception, and it still does, despite overwhelming evidence that such methods often create far more problems than they solve. For violent criminals, yes, punishment is necessary to ensure the safety of the public. But for nonviolent people, addicts, and those suffering from mental illness, punishment only makes them worse. Other forms of justice, such as restorative justice and rehabilitation, are not only far more effective, they even cost less. And they benefit everyone involved.

So why are we not tapping into this knowledge and fixing what's broken? The answer to that question is GREED. The prison industrial complex is a well-oiled corporate machine that rakes in exorbitant profits through mass incarceration, and they have their claws in too many government officials and politicians for any real reforms to be accomplished. Now I'm not sure about you, but I personally believe that any trusted leader within our communities who values money and power over people and service does not deserve to keep their job. Which is why it is on our shoulders as Americans to do our research and get rid of these individuals before they can further destroy our integrity as a nation. Until people in power accept and acknowledge that crime and addiction are symptoms of deeper societal and individual dysfunction and that they have a responsibility to help heal that dysfunction, nothing will change. And if nothing changes...nothing changes. Plain and simple.

Today I am hopeful. I am motivated to fight my demons and address my issues, whether the system supports my efforts or not. I will not be a statistic. And I will NEVER be silenced.

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