A former Clark County addict who turned her life around after defeating her drug addiction says the ballot question is bad.
Brittany King said she needed to go to jail to stay away from heroin and crack that was ruining her and her family’s life.
“I’m a recovering addict almost three years clean and I’ve been through multiple treatments and a lot of stuff, but I was sentenced to six months in jail and I got a chance to get out on (a) program.
“Having that time to sit in jail, it really gave me the time to dry out, to think about what I was doing with my life and how I was hurting other people,” she said
Meanwhile, supporters of issue one say the purpose of the proposal is to fund scientifically-proven treatment methods to fight Ohio’s drug epidemic.
MORE: 2 Champaign County teens sentenced to prison for years appeal
Issue 1, a proposition that aims to reduce the incarceration rate in Ohio, would implement a number of changes for the way the state’s criminal justice system operates, including converting fourth- and fifth-degree felony drug possession and drug use crimes to misdemeanors with no jail time for first and second offenses committed within a 24-month period.
Other changes are:
• Prohibit judges from sending people to prison if they violate probation with something other than a new crime, such as missing an appointment
• Cut prison time for offenders who complete rehabilitation programs, except those convicted of murder, rape or child molestation
• Put money saved by fewer people going to prison into drug treatment and crime victim programs
• Allow people convicted of certain drug crimes to petition the court for re-sentencing or release or to have the charge changed.
The new proposed law would keep drug trafficking crimes as felonies.
EXTRA: Governor candidates spar on vision for California
Stephen Johnson Grove, with the Ohio Justice Policy Center, says the goal of Issue 1 is to reduce incarceration rates in Ohio. He said Clark County has a high incarceration rate and the practices of throwing people in jail for drugs is expensive and hasn’t worked.
“The incarceration rate is off the charts,” Grove said. “Families in Clark County are getting loved ones thrown in jail for little stuff.”
According from data from Grove, Clark County ranks 10th out of 88 counties for rate of people in prison.
King said she doesn’t believe addicts will buy into or attend programs without the fear of jail time. She said she needed it to get clean.
“Being able to have me go to jail, that saved my life,” King said. “Because if that wouldn’t have happened, I would probably be dead right now. Going to jail saved my life.”
She said while no one wants to go to jail, it is the quickest way to fix a criminal’s attitude.
“It took 10 years to get me in that hole,” she said. “A six-month sentence isn’t actually a long time to climb back out of that 10-year hole you’ve been digging. People need that time to find themselves, or not, but at least it’s a chance.”
Grove said while having a jail sentence hanging over someone’s head may help some, it isn’t a true solution for everyone. He said most people want to help themselves and added funding to drug treatment will be a more effective way to combat Ohio’s drug crisis.
“The question is really what do we need for everyone,” Grove said. “We can have a lot better results before ever putting anyone in the criminal justice system. The system is extremely expensive and less successful than other scientifically proven treatment.”
However, King shares the opinion with several Clark County politicians and law enforcement officials who also say they are against the ballot proposition. A group of elected leaders plans to host a news conference Wednesday morning to address Issue 1.
Clark County Municipal Court Judge Denise Moody told the Springfield News-Sun she does not believe the issue is a solution for Ohio. She said she has letters from former addicts and their family who thanked her for jail sentences that changed lives.
READ: Kasich: Ohio’s gun background check system has ‘significant gaps’
“The most important thing that jail does is interrupt drug-seeking behavior,” Moody said. “Some addicts are able on their own to realize where they are and that they need help. But I think it’s fair to say the overwhelming majority of them can’t simply because if your brain is filled with poison, if your every waking thought is consumed about how to get more poison, it’s impossible to expect that people can make rational decisions.”
She said once an addict is clean in jail they can then undergo self-reflection about their situation. Moody also said the issue doesn’t do a good job making sure Clark County will get money for addiction rehab either.
Clark County Prosecutor Andy Wilson, Clark County Commissioner Richard Lohnes and Clark County Sheriff Deborah Burchett are also against the proposition.
OHIO POLITICS HAS YOU COVERED
Newsletter: Sign up for our daily Ohio Politics newsletter for the latest on Election 2018 and the news of the day
Twitter: Stay up to date with the latest from the campaign trail on @Ohio_Politics
Facebook: Speak out on the issues and candidates on our Ohio Politics Facebook page
For more on the November elections, check out our interactve voter guide at springfieldnewssun.com/voterguide
About the Author