Ugh!
it’s been too long since I’ve posted and I have a lot of catching up to do. It is true about crime increasing when the economy sours. We’ve seen an increase in theft, drug and violence related crimes. So much so that the jails are doing more OR (releasing someone on their own recognizance) to alleviate the crowding. The majority of my cases continue to involve drug use, specifically methamphetamine.
Meth is the worst drug to hit the streets in the US since the cocaine epidemic of the 80′s. However, I believe that Meth is having a far worse social impact on America. It destroys lives and the people around them. It’s an ugly drug and anyone connected to a Meth addict will tell you that the addict has little regard for themselves and even less for their loved ones. They are truly owned by the drug only care about thier next score.
I could tell you one hundred stories of the addicts that I have arrested but they would all be them same. Mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children and siblings all tell me the same thing: “(insert addict’s name here) has changed and I don’t even know him/her anymore. We have tried everything and don’t know what else to do for him/her. I think jail is the best thing for him/her. I’m tired of worrying about his/her safety. Please let me know if you find him/her.”
When I do find them, the majority are living from house to house, living with people who are either using the addict or are being used by the addict. Most of them own nothing except the clothes on their back and no longer take care of themselves. They all smell like Meth. I have also noticed that none of them see that they have a problem and when confronted about their family’s concern they shrug it off or pathologically justify their behavior. I wish there was more I could do but I think I am just wasting my time.
There is also an illusion by the families that the addict is going to recover by spending time in jail. I am afraid that all this does is delay an eventual relapse. The state and local government must do more to punish the manufacturers and distributors of Meth. They also need to do more to prevent the flow of Meth into the US from Mexico. Drug dealers need to spend serious time in jail.
