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Christmas
Behind Bars
If anyone knew what it was like to have Christmas
behind bars, they would realize that drug treatment might be the best
holiday gift they could give to a loved one. After interviewing two clients
who have spent a few Christmases in prison for drugs, I decided it is
something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, except perhaps the most wanton of
criminals. Few people deserve a Christmas behind bars.
This is the way one client described his experience;
“I saw grown men cry when they heard
the Christmas carols piped into the hallway while they were sitting in
their 8X 10 cell. The carols were a reminder, that if we all had made
other choices, we could be with our families, not in our cells. We knew
our families were probably thinking the same thing. We realized we had
ruined too many Christmases for ourselves and others and that added to
the feeling of being punished.”.
“For those with long sentences, the
Christmas carols were reminders that the best Christmases were in the
past, and since New Years resolutions rarely work in prison the future
was not too good.”
“I was in prison because I was an
addict. Even though the prison walls kept me away from my family on Christmas,
they didn’t prevent me from continuing to use alcohol and drugs, and I
had plenty of both while I was there.”
“Drugs were routinely brought in
by the prison staff. Certain inmates would get to know some of the guards
who would help set up the drug deals. Dealers were both inside and outside
of the prison. The guards just helped make it happen. We paid for the
drugs through trading cigarettes or cash smuggled into us. Sometimes friends
on the outside would take money to dealers who would make sure the drugs
were delivered inside. There was no drug testing unless an inmate caught
with drugs.”
“Before I went to prison, I rationalized
that I was using the drugs and alcohol to celebrate Christmas. In prison
I was using drugs and alcohol to dull the pain. Either way, I was addicted
and needed help. The only difference in my drug use was where I was using
the drugs. I didn’t get better by being locked up and I don’t think society
was any better. The dealers were still running free and delivering drugs.
They were creating more future prison inhabitants. In a way, addicts are
fodder for this crazy system. It seems that a lot of people are making
money off of this set up – the dealers, the lawyers and the people who
build and run the prisons. The addicts feed the system and they are the
ones who for the most part suffer at Christmas. It is true that we were
guilty, but there must be a better way to handle this situation.”
“Only after being rehabilitated for
real with a workable treatment program, did I start to have Merry Christmases.”
 “The
world is better only because I had treatment, not because I spent time
in prison.”
“Families should get their loved
ones into treatment before they get into the prison system. What is a
life worth? I had to learn the hard way that life is not worth much if
one is imprisoned by bars or drugs”
“Now life is valuable to me. Every
Christmas is drug free and special. I hope that through my example and
my work with addicts I can help others achieve the same.”
Call 877-413-3073
about our holiday specials.
We will do everything in our power to get your
loved one into treatment and still ensure that you and your family can
enjoy the season together in our planned festivities.
Come
celebrate!
Narconon
is the new life program.
Start yours today.
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