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? 8Before 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.
88888888888 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.
88888888888 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.8The 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,
2020.8https://www.aspenridgerecoverycenters.com/drug-incarceration-
statistics/%29.%E2%80%9D.
McQuilkin, J. Robertson, and Paul Copan.8An Introduction to Biblical Ethics:
Walking in the Way of Wisdom. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, an imprint of
InterVarsity Press, 2014.
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