If one reads the landscape of mass incarceration of individuals, especially African
Americans, it is genuinely heartbreaking. The United States alone now boasts an
incarceration rate that is six to ten times greater than other industrialized nations
(Alexander 2020, 9). So why are drug possessions and use so high? Isn't the penal
system a deterrent for those who are using and selling drugs or committing minor
crimes (McQuilkin & Copan 2017, 432)? When approaching the subject of drug use,
addiction, and small crimes, it is essential to remember that there is a reason "why"
the individual is choosing this coping mechanism behind every addiction. Every drug
possession or offense is a broken and hurting person who is choosing and searching
and chasing their own desires, which is sin. As McQuilkin and Copan state, “While God
punishes sin, humans punish crime. Since humans are not authorized to punish sin,
society must wisely determine which sins are criminal and therefore punishable
(McQuilkin& Copan 2017, 431).” So, when dealing with minor drug possessions or
small crimes, what can the Christian response be? i Before recommending a system to
address small crimes and drug possessions that are more effective than jail terms, I
would like to talk about the vision behind the upcoming suggested system.
i i i i i i i i i i First, the most important step of this vision would be to acknowledge that man's
standards and expectations will always fail. We must submit to the standards of God
when it comes to criminal justice. We as Christians must stand firm on the standards
of justice and grace but not support that governments should not over-legislate either
(McQuilkin & Copan 2017, 431). Secondly, the Christian response cannot be a one
size fits all approach, but there is a one-size-fits-all solution, the Gospel. Christians
must be advocates to promote regeneration through the Gospel to be true
rehabilitation (McQuilkin & Copan 441). Therefore, what I am suggesting will have the
foundation of the standard of Scripture and the focus of the Gospel.
i i i i i i i i i i According to the 2020 Federal Bureau of Investigation, 86.7 percent of drug
abuse arrests were due to possession and use, while the other 13.3 percent of arrests
came from the sale and manufacturing of drugs (https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-
u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/arrest-table.xls). This statistic draws to the
attention that the majority of the arrests made were due to the use of the drugs, which
is a high probability that these individuals are self-medicating. In fact, “As many as
80% of all jailed offenders (whether the crime was drug-related or not) have a problem
with substance abuse (https://www.aspenridgerecoverycenters.com/drug-
incarceration-statistics/).”
Therefore, the suggested solution would be to provide accountability and resources
for those who have been caught with small drug possessions and crimes. This would
come through a Gospel-centered rehabilitation program that would provide a housing
complex and resources to get those out of the current temptation and put them in a
Christ-centered environment to provide discipleship and resources. This approach
would be more beneficial than the current punishment system that aims to take away
time and everyday freedom in hopes that the individual will be scared straight. This
program would also have the option for the individuals to see a licensed counselor
throughout their stay. The hope would be that those who have accepted the Gospel
and have gone through the program begin to lead those who are entering the
program. This would allow the person to build rapport and then adequately build
accountability with the person they are assigned to in the program. The overall hope
of this rehabilitation program is first to address the sin issue while ensuring that the
person who has committed the drug or small crimes has access to resources to break
the cyclical sin of addiction. Those who step foot into this program would understand
that they are made in the image of God, and therefore are His masterpiece and that
God does not make junk.
Word Count: 655
References:
“2019 Crime in the United States.” Accessed June 20, 2021. https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-
in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/arrest-table.xls.
Alexander, Michelle.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of
Colorblindness
. New York: New Press, 2020.
Editor. “Drug Incarceration Statistics: How Many Drug Addicts Relapse After Jail?”
AspenRidge. Editor https://www.aspenridgerecoverycenters.com/wp-
content/uploads/2021/06/AspenRidge-Addiction-Recovery-Logo-pride.png,
November 13, 2020. https://www.aspenridgerecoverycenters.com/drug-
incarceration-statistics/%29.%E2%80%9D.
McQuilkin, J. Robertson, and Paul Copan.
An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in
the Way of Wisdom
. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014.
