Consider the different possibilities and Christian responses in this chapter, and defend, in your initial post, a possible way to deal with minor drug offenses that might be more effective than jail terms.
As I reflect on this question, I cannot help but to think about my experiences as a police
officer and the many lives that I encountered who were affected by addiction. I have taken
enforcement action against hundreds of people, some of which, were arrested and others were
simply cited. I have seen overdoses; abuse and neglect which resulted in placing the addict’s
children into state custody; countless thefts, robberies, burglaries, and other property crimes
because of the stranglehold that addiction has on the lives of its victims. I responded to
overdoses on more than one occasion where an opiate addict was unconscious and
unresponsive, but we were able resuscitate them with Narcan only to have them turn
combative because we “stole” their high. In the latter, criminal charges were rarely filed, but
in many other situations, charges were filed which sometimes resulted in lengthy prison
sentences.”
Maybe, it is the cynicism of a career in law-enforcement, but I tend to believe that treatment
and rehabilitation are mostly ineffective when dealing with addicts. I believe that in order to
see successful results, there must be “buy-in” from the addict. In other words, he or she must