Morgan Godvin’s first incarceration was a book-and-release: she asked for a seven-day sentence in jail to avoid a heroin relapse and continue Suboxone, an approved medication to treat opioid use disorder that she was previously using. The woman led a somewhat normal life: she worked in the service sector, went to a paramedic school, and studied to obtain an EMT license. Nevertheless, medical care in prison has a variety of shortcomings, which led to Morgan’s relapse. When a prison doctor groundlessly refused to continue the medication, Morgan underwent an agonizing withdrawal, and after the seven-day jail incarceration ended, she was still not stabilized on Suboxone. The detention prompted Morgan’s addiction, and she relapsed almost overdosing the same week after the release from jail – a fate common among those who leave prison. Eventually, she was convicted of several felonies, lost her job, and other reminders of social stability. After Morgan’s close friend died due to an overdose on heroin that she sold from her personal stash, the woman was sentenced to five years in prison.
The leading cause of Morgan’s incarceration was a drug addiction, which is not uncommon. Overall, the War on Drugs is one of the reasons that made the United States a country with the highest incarceration rate (Wildeman and Wang 1466). Given that addiction is the main reason many end up behind bars, medical resources seem to be the most efficient prevention method for cases similar to Morgan’s. There is a number of rehab centers with a Suboxone program that help impede a relapse from which people with similar stories possibly could benefit. The facilities provide different treatment options varying from office-based to residential. For instance, American Addiction Centers is an organization that helps to locate a rehab facility or a program that provides Suboxone treatment nearby. Moreover, given that a large number of addicts experience financial troubles, such government programs as Medicare and Medicaid can partially cover the primary drug and alcohol dependency treatment costs. Therefore, Suboxone programs may be helpful to people who suffer from heroin addiction in preventing incarceration.
Rehabilitation is an essential part of the criminal justice system that helps to reintegrate offenders into society after serving a sentence. Nonetheless, Morgan’s story demonstrates that the rehabilitation mechanisms are not sufficiently accessible. Some correctional facilities collaborate with SMART Recovery, an organization that helps abstain from drug use. Its main objective is to incorporate recovery and support meetings in the habitual life of a prison population, facilitating their revival from addiction. The organization also prepares officers and counselors to mediate these meetings. In this way, prisons have recovery and support sessions with trained staff. Although the program is of significant help, it may not be sufficient for people who undergo a similar to Morgan’s struggle. Pharmacological treatment is essential in many cases but not necessarily available in prisons. Providing Suboxone would enhance the chances of avoiding a relapse when an incarcerated person is released and increase adherence to a treatment plan (Godvin par. 25). Expanding the availability of Suboxone in correctional facilities as well as psychological help is critical for alleviating heroin addiction.
Drug addiction and a prison sentence are circumstances that can diminish one’s chances of social stability. After being released from prison, one of the problems that commonly emerge and which Morgan also encountered was finding a job. Re-entry assistance programs serve to alleviate this social issue helping ex-prisoners with food, housing, and jobs. For example, the Federal Bonding Program offers six-moths fidelity bonds for job applicants who encounter obstacles to employment. The employer receives a fidelity bond, stimulating them to hire an at-risk employee. Ex-offenders qualify for the program and can access services via phone without the need to travel. Additionally, CareerOneStop has a job search help for ex-offenders – the website provides information on approaching the conviction in a resume or an interview, employers hiring ex-offenders, and state resources. In the event of a long sentence, a person may not leave incarceration and age in a correctional facility. In such cases, programs that target the needs of the aging population are needed. An example of such a program would be one directed to alleviate depression and social isolation that senior prisoners face.
Completing this exercise helped me realize that the current penal system is not adapted to individuals who struggle with addiction. The system fails to provide the necessary pharmacological and psychological help. Although the situation with the latter is somewhat better, correctional facilities do not manage their population group with heroin addiction. Instituting a penal system reform requires considering the needs of heroin addicts – a more balanced approach not focused solely on punishment but rehabilitation. Moreover, the detention and mass incarceration of non-violent drug users that do not bear a threat to others’ well-being could be revised. The criminalization of drug use seems to precipitate the problem and not resolve it. Instead of incarcerating this population group, their rehabilitation and reintegration are needed.
Works Cited
Godvin, Morgan. I Thought Jail Would Help Me Get Clean. I Was Dead Wrong. The Marshall Project, 2020. Web.
Wildeman, Christopher, and Emily A. Wang. “Mass Incarceration, Public Health, And Widening Inequality In The USA.” The Lancet, vol. 389, no. 10077, 2017, pp. 1464–1474.