The System
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
I write to you from the Kosciusko County Jail. I write as someone who has had a lot of experience with "the system."
Our community suffers from a meth epidemic and severe prescription pain pill abuse. We are dealing with a large-scale problem affecting every economic bracket. There is also the issue of prosecuting these people. The way this problem is being dealt with in the courts is chaotic. Some people receive long prisons terms with very little chance of rehabilitation. Some people snitch on their co-defendants in crime and receive light sentences. But in all probability, these people will end up re-offending, overdosing or being involved in someone else's overdose, which will result in more changes such as manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter.
Men and women in this community are abandoning their children in record numbers in the pursuit of their next high. The children of these parents are suffering long-term effects of not just being abandoned but also the indirect anger of the people being forced to step in and raise them. A lot of grandparents are being robbed of the blessed opportunity of being loving but lenient grandparents when they are forced to step up to their absent children's plates and assume the role of parents.
I feel that prior to sentencing these people on drugs should be offered a chance to go to rehab. If they do not complete the program or refuse to participate they should receive longer sentences of incarceration.
I think the snitch program should be totally eliminated. Let everyone be responsible for their own actions. I'm not talking about neighborhood watches. These probably save thousands of innocent children's lives.
I believe if the people who manufactured methamphetamine in their homes with children present or who reside in the residue of these chemicals were made an example of, we might see a decline in some of this activity.
I also think after completion of rehab, sentencing could be modified to work release so these parents could contribute financial support to their families and participate in aftercare, which would include counseling for these children who are just shuttled sometimes between family member who often don't want the responsibility but feel obligated. These poor babies. Someone needs to be an advocate for these children and let them know they are not responsible for the shift in family dynamics.
So I would like for our community leaders, judges, prosecutors, counselors and church leaders to pull together. They should pool ideas and come up with some solutions. Our children need to be first and foremost. They are our future leaders! If we don't make good decisions for them now, how will they be able to make good decisions later? Let's spend the extra money now in the judicial system. I think if we pursue this problem in the right manner it'll save tends of thousands in health care dollars and save millions of lives potentially. Our children's health and well-being is being compromised by their drug-addicted parents.
Cynthia Funderburk
Kosciusko County Jail
Warsaw, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
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I write to you from the Kosciusko County Jail. I write as someone who has had a lot of experience with "the system."
Our community suffers from a meth epidemic and severe prescription pain pill abuse. We are dealing with a large-scale problem affecting every economic bracket. There is also the issue of prosecuting these people. The way this problem is being dealt with in the courts is chaotic. Some people receive long prisons terms with very little chance of rehabilitation. Some people snitch on their co-defendants in crime and receive light sentences. But in all probability, these people will end up re-offending, overdosing or being involved in someone else's overdose, which will result in more changes such as manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter.
Men and women in this community are abandoning their children in record numbers in the pursuit of their next high. The children of these parents are suffering long-term effects of not just being abandoned but also the indirect anger of the people being forced to step in and raise them. A lot of grandparents are being robbed of the blessed opportunity of being loving but lenient grandparents when they are forced to step up to their absent children's plates and assume the role of parents.
I feel that prior to sentencing these people on drugs should be offered a chance to go to rehab. If they do not complete the program or refuse to participate they should receive longer sentences of incarceration.
I think the snitch program should be totally eliminated. Let everyone be responsible for their own actions. I'm not talking about neighborhood watches. These probably save thousands of innocent children's lives.
I believe if the people who manufactured methamphetamine in their homes with children present or who reside in the residue of these chemicals were made an example of, we might see a decline in some of this activity.
I also think after completion of rehab, sentencing could be modified to work release so these parents could contribute financial support to their families and participate in aftercare, which would include counseling for these children who are just shuttled sometimes between family member who often don't want the responsibility but feel obligated. These poor babies. Someone needs to be an advocate for these children and let them know they are not responsible for the shift in family dynamics.
So I would like for our community leaders, judges, prosecutors, counselors and church leaders to pull together. They should pool ideas and come up with some solutions. Our children need to be first and foremost. They are our future leaders! If we don't make good decisions for them now, how will they be able to make good decisions later? Let's spend the extra money now in the judicial system. I think if we pursue this problem in the right manner it'll save tends of thousands in health care dollars and save millions of lives potentially. Our children's health and well-being is being compromised by their drug-addicted parents.
Cynthia Funderburk
Kosciusko County Jail
Warsaw, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
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