Many young men and women are incarcerated for petty crimes and possession of
small amounts of illegal drugs. I am assuming many of these drug usages are due to
peer pressure, curiosity, or an attempt to escape some pain in their life. Each of these
reasons may need a different solution to help the individual remove themselves from
the temptation of returning to its usage.
Rehabilitation is one of the primary purposes of punishment; however, this has a low
success rate.[1] In some instances, rehabilitation groups may find drugs being
handed off to one another, displacing the participant's ability to stay clean and away
from any substance. For an individual to overcome this, the participants must be
willing to remove themselves from the temptation of both receiving and offering any
drug and the facilitator overseeing this possibility. Another aspect of this is the peer
pressure and temptation outside of the group and its environment.
Small amounts of drugs should not all be treated the same. The type of drug in
possession must be considered. Are the drugs intended for personal use or the intent
for sale? i What is the individual's age, and what is their affiliation, if any, to organized
crime? Other questions pertinent to the situation will have to be examined.
If incarceration is opted for, where and what level of containment will they be sent to? i
How will this help the individual overcome their minor crime? This may be a way for
counseling and withdrawal of the drug from the system to occur, yet peer pressure of
a more accessible drug may rise. i These instances are known, and there are
limitations that the authorities can do to stop any and all drug use even within the
system.
So, what is a possible solution? i A great possibility is for the individual to explain why
they are taking the drugs and the primary reasons that lead to this, and guide, help,
counsel them in choosing different alternatives. This can be done through Christian
teachings or secular options for those not open to Christian teachings.[2] Using this
route, the individual has private, counsel, and group methods available to them, each
with its benefits. This method can be adopted within each of the other usual methods
the judicial system has to offer. It is only when the individual changes from within that
their exterior choices will change.
Proverbs 18:24 is a key verse that can be used. “There is a friend that is closer than a
brother.”[3] There must be accountability to another while going through these
processes. The possession may be small and insignificant to many; however, the
intent to use or sell is the main focus; possession is a means of transport. If the
individual can turn from the end distribution early before it can compound, lives and
communities can be changed. If this can be done through effective Christian teaching
and fellowship, it can achieve the difference in the individual’s life where the others
fail. i
i i i i i i i i i i i i [1] Robertson McQuilkin and Paul Copan, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics:
Walking in the Way of Wisdom (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014), 441.
i i i i i i i i i i i i [2] Ibid., 442.
i i i i i i i i i i i i [3] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King
James Version.
